The Miami Dolphins traded away their top cornerback just weeks ago, believing their secondary was deep enough to handle the loss. Now they’re finding out how wrong they were. With Jalen Ramsey in Pittsburgh and their depth chart suddenly looking thin, Miami just lost another key piece of their defensive backfield for the entire 2025-26 season.
Why Does Artie Burns’ Injury Make the Jalen Ramsey Trade Look Questionable?
Ramsey was a cornerstone of the Miami Dolphins’ defense for the past two seasons after they traded tight end Hunter Long and a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams to acquire him. The three-time first-team All-Pro earned a Pro Bowl appearance in his first season with Miami and helped them finish 10th in scoring defense and fourth in total yards allowed in 2024.
Despite Ramsey’s strong play in 2024, recording 60 total tackles, 39 solo tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, four quarterback hits, two interceptions, and 11 passes defended, the Dolphins made a bold move. They sent Ramsey, 2024 Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith, and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers for five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Miami may now be regretting that decision. Just weeks after trading away their top corner, the team suffered another blow to their secondary when veteran cornerback Artie Burns went down with a season-ending injury.
What Does Burns’ ACL Tear Mean for Miami’s Defense?
The Dolphins’ cornerback room took a major hit on Thursday when Adam Schefter reported that Burns will miss the entire 2025-26 season. The NFL insider took to X, tweeting:
An MRI confirmed an ACL tear for Dolphins CB Artie Burns, who now is expected to miss the 2025 season, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 24, 2025
The timing makes this injury particularly painful for Miami. Burns was expected to step into a larger role following the Ramsey trade, competing for significant playing time in the Dolphins’ defensive scheme. The 2025-26 season was also set to be a homecoming for Burns, who was born and raised in Miami and attended Miami Northwestern High School before playing college football for the Miami Hurricanes.
Burns brings extensive NFL experience to the table, having been a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2020 season. However, his time in Chicago got off to a rough start when he suffered a torn ACL in training camp and missed the entire 2020 season. He returned to play for the Bears in 2021.
More recently, Burns spent the past three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, though his playing time was limited. He appeared in just three games in 2022 and four games in 2024. The cornerback had signed a one-year deal with Miami ahead of the 2025-26 season, leaving his future with the team uncertain beyond this year. With this latest injury, it remains unclear if he will return to Miami in 2026.
