Steelers and Dolphins Make Bold Fitzpatrick-Ramsey Trade

• The Fitzpatrick-Ramsey trade completed by the Dolphins and Steelers has created a splash as NFL training camp is on the horizon
• Minkah Fitzpatrick returns to Miami, where he began his pro career in 2018
• Jalen Ramsey joins his fourth team as he enters his 10th season
• The Steelers also receive tight end Jonnu Smith and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick
• The Dolphins get a 2027 fifth-rounder along with Fitzpatrick
• The trade signifies the philosophies that the Steelers and Dolphins plan on implementing in 2025

Fitzpatrick and Ramsey Are 2 Very Different Defensive Backs

Both Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jalen Ramsey could be described as ballhawks. Ramsey has 24 career interceptions; Fitzpatrick has 20. However, they have done it in different ways. Fitzpatrick generally plays safety, but he can play cornerback if needed. Ramsey is a cover corner who is entrusted to shut down the opposing team’s top receiver. It’s a role comparable to what Deion Sanders used to play, except Ramsey does not shy away from contact.

Fitzpatrick has frequently encountered bigger receivers or ball carriers and been run over. He’s vulnerable to a skillful stiff arm. Both players are approximately the same size at 6’1″ and around 210 pounds, but Ramsey is more consistent in his tackling.

Both players are options for the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year.

What This Means for the Dolphins

Months ago, Ramsey and the Dolphins had agreed that a trade would likely be in the best interests of both sides. By consummating this deal, the Dolphins shed about two-thirds of Ramsey’s 2025 contract, which was set to pay him around $26 million. Fitzpatrick’s contract calls for him to be paid about $10 million less.

The Dolphins like an aggressive defensive style of play with plenty of blitzing, which can leave their defensive backs vulnerable. Part of the reason the Steelers wanted to move on from Fitzpatrick was his apparent on-field decline.

Fitzpatrick remains a solid player, but the foundation for this trade was financial.

Smith caught 88 balls in 2024. But the Dolphins’ offense under Mike McDaniel has myriad interchangeable pieces, and Miami has tight ends Tanner Conner, Jalin Conyers, Julian Hill, and Hayden Rucci on the roster.

What This Means for the Steelers

These are not the Steelers of old, where the perception of the organization was one of selfless team play and adhering to the systems put in place by the three head coaches they have had since 1969, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin.

Of course, in reality, while the Steelers don’t tolerate overt insubordination, they are flexible with unique personalities who have had off-field issues if they produce on the field. Ben Roethlisberger, for example, had his problems, but they were tolerated because he was Ben Roethlisberger. They maximized players like Santonio Holmes, but discarded them when their production declined.

Still, this team is not the usual “build around the strong nucleus” Steelers we’ve seen in the past. Signing Aaron Rodgers could be categorized as a desperation move since their attempts to replace Roethlisberger have proved futile. Now they’re trading for Ramsey and Smith in what increasingly appears to be a loading up to have a veteran-laden roster of players from whom they will know what to expect. The additions of Smith and D.K. Metcalf give Rodgers veteran targets to throw to and trust.

Tomlin can control the locker room, but it will be more difficult than it was in the past with individualistic personalities like Rodgers and Ramsey.

What Are Your Thoughts on the Fitzpatrick-Ramsey Trade?

Digging into the underlying reasons for the Fitzpatrick-Ramsey trade (with Smith and draft picks thrown in), it makes sense that it happened. Still, the Dolphins are going for steady and not spectacular, while the Steelers are gambling on veteran stars who might be past their sell-by date. It’s something of a role reversal for two teams who have not won big for many years.

What’s your take on the trade and how it impacts the teams that made it?

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