Miami Dolphins send Pro Bowl CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh Steelers

The Miami Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey are parting ways—and both sides are getting what they wanted.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the All-Pro cornerback is on his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers in what’s being described as a "blockbuster trade." Ramsey, a seven-time Pro Bowler, will reportedly receive a $1.5 million salary bump as part of a reworked deal, pushing his 2025 earnings to $26.6 million.

Along with Jalen Ramsey, the Steelers are also landing veteran tight end Jonnu Smith as part of the trade package. Heading the other way, the Dolphins will receive star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a late-round draft selection in return.

Speculation around Jalen Ramsey's future had been bubbling well before the NFL Draft, ever since Miami publicly acknowledged a shared desire to explore trade options. As the Dolphins weighed offers, it wasn’t clear which team would be willing to put the right package together to seal the deal.

Back in April, Dolphins GM Chris Grier made it clear during his pre-draft press conference that the team was preparing to move on from Jalen Ramsey. The trade, however, hit pause due to salary cap logistics. By holding off until after June 1, Miami saves big, only taking a $6.7 million dead cap hit this season instead of a whopping $25 million if they'd pulled the trigger earlier.

Despite speculation, Grier clarified Ramsey didn’t formally ask to be dealt, though both sides ultimately agreed a separation was best.

"We decided that it was probably in the best interest for all parties to move forward," Grier noted, without going into further detail.

Ramsey was handed a lucrative three-year, $72.3 million extension ahead of the 2024 campaign, with $25.1 million fully guaranteed in 2025. While Miami already covered his $4 million roster bonus, the remainder still sits on the books.

"It's never easy to replace a player like Jalen," Grier admitted. "He was a good player for us. He’s a good player. He'll probably be a Hall of Famer, but for the Miami Dolphins going forward, we feel like this is the best chance to help us win not only just this year, but in the future as well."

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver echoed that sentiment, insisting there's no bad blood.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ramsey," Weaver said. "He played very good ball for us, but relationships are hard, right? He’s chosen to go other ways and I respect and I wish him nothing but the best moving forward."

Ramsey, now 30, originally joined the Miami Dolphins in a March 2023 deal that saw the team give up a third-round draft pick and tight end Hunter Long to land the star corner.

Across 27 games in Miami colors, Ramsey notched five interceptions, 82 tackles, and 16 pass breakups. While he earned a Pro Bowl nod in his debut season with the Dolphins, he missed out this past year.

A former first-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2016 out of Florida State, Ramsey has built a Hall of Fame-worthy résumé. He’s a three-time All-Pro, appeared in the NFL Top 100 players list seven times—peaking at No. 9 in 2022—and was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 before eventually landing in Miami.

Things didn’t start smoothly for him in South Florida. He suffered a preseason knee injury that delayed his debut until October 29, 2023, when he made an instant impact by picking off Mac Jones deep in Dolphins territory and returning it 49 yards to help set up a field goal.

Ramsey added to his highlight reel later that year with a pair of interceptions against the Raiders, including a clutch pick in the end zone with just 32 seconds left. In 2024, he continued to deliver in big moments, grabbing interceptions off Josh Allen and Gardner Minshew—the latter sealing a win for Miami with just over three minutes to go.

As for TE Jonnu Smith, he's coming off the back of a career-best season that saw him post career-highs in catches (88) and rec. yards (884) while also racking up eight TDs.

With Ramsey now out of the picture, the Dolphins have a significant gap to fill at corner. The likely candidates to step up include Cam Smith, Storm Duck, Jason Marshall, Ethan Bonner, and Ryan Cooper.