The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled one of the biggest trades of the offseason on Monday when they acquired All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins.
Ramsey drew interest from several teams after he was granted permission to seek a trade in April, which came after his relationship with Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel deteriorated.
The Los Angeles Rams were a logical suitor for Ramsey given their familiarity with him and need at cornerback. Several members of the team, including head coach Sean McVay, talked about a potential reunion in recent weeks.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Rams were one of the two main teams involved in trade talks for Ramsey before he was sent to the Steelers:
The #Rams and #Steelers were the two main teams involved in the potential trade of Jalen Ramsey. In the end, PIT lands him. DK Metcalf, Aaron Rodgers… now Jalen. https://t.co/XouZmMIX0W
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 30, 2025
While the Rams would have loved to bring back Ramsey, it just wasn’t in the cards due to their current cap situation. Money wasn’t an issue for the Steelers, who immediately reworked the 30-year-old’s contract to give him a $1.5 million raise this year.
Ramsey will now anchor a talented Steelers secondary that includes Darius Slay, Joey Porter Jr., Juan Thornhill and DeShon Elliott, among others.
The Rams could use another starting caliber cornerback themselves, but they very well may just stick to what they have in-house rather than now pursue other options on the free agent market.
Ramsey had a productive stint with the Rams from 2019-22 that saw him record 10 interceptions, 47 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, two sacks and 242 tackles in 57 games. He earned three Pro Bowl selections and helped them win Super Bowl LVI during that span.
Quentin Lake hoped Rams would bring back Jalen Ramsey
Quentin Lake previously expressed hope that the Rams would work out a deal to bring back Jalen Ramsey.
“We would be a tough team, especially a tough defense to beat,” Lake said of Ramsey. “He knows the system, he’s familiar with the organization. Jalen is a God-given talent. Not only is he smart, he’s been in the league a long time playing at such a high level. Anytime you get to bring a guy like that back, he’s only going to add value. He is a star and anybody that you ask, he’s such an amazing player.”
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