Jalen Ramsey could play elsewhere in 2025 as he, Dolphins agree to explore trade options
Looks like the Miami Dolphins might be in need of two starting cornerbacks.
Seven-time Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey and the Dolphins have mutually agreed to search for a trade, according to NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
This comes a little more than seven months after Ramsey and the franchise agreed to a three-year, $72.3 million extension.
Ramsey joined the Dolphins in 2023 via a trade from the Los Angeles Rams with whom he had just won Super Bowl LVI. Limited to just 10 games with a knee injury, Ramsey finished the 2023 season with three picks, five pass deflections and 22 combined tackles. He even earned his seventh Pro Bowl along the way.
With the talent assembled ahead of the 2024 season, there was some belief around the organization that that could be the year. Unfortunately, injuries along the offensive and defensive line doomed the Dolphins and the secondary’s play suffered as a result. Still, Ramsey played all 17 games, accumulating two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 60 combined tackles.
Although Ramsey’s age showed a bit last year, he still remained one of the most effective corners in football, ending 2024 ranked 10th at his position, according to Pro Football Focus.
“With him, you’re always just trying to put him around where you think the football is going to be,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said of Ramsey. “So if you know they want to target a particular receiver, you try to put him there. If you know that they want to do something protection-wise and you think you can him a free run at the quarterback or in the backfield, you try to put him there just because you know the more he can get around the ball, the more opportunities he has to make plays for your defense.”
The potential loss of Ramsey would be the latest blow to a locker room that will already be without leaders in left tackle Terron Armstead and defensive tackle Calais Campbell. Armstead officially retired April 5 while Campbell elected to return to the team that drafted him in the Arizona Cardinals.
With $24.2 million of his salary guaranteed this season, the Dolphins will take a $8.5 million cap hit if he’s traded before June 1. A trade after June 1 will give the franchise a cap savings of $9.9 million.
A Ramsey trade will also add another starting corner to the Dolphins’ laundry list of needs ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. The return of Kader Kohou to man the nickel spot is a good sign yet the release of 2024 starter Kendall Fuller following the end of the season left one hole open on the outside.
Miami, however, has been relatively quiet in free agency, especially when it came to the corner position. Some of the best remaining free agent corners include Asante Samuel Jr., Tre’Davious White and Stephon Gilmore.
The Dolphins also have 10 draft picks — five of which are in the first four rounds — to address the position.
Miami Herald sports columnist Omar Kelly helped contribute to this report.
This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 8:05 AM.
