Former NFL star Golden Tate has opened up about one of the most talked-about personal feuds in recent league history — his bitter on-field clash with cornerback Jalen Ramsey. What began as a family matter eventually spilled over onto the gridiron in a physical and public confrontation. Now, Tate, 36, is sharing new insight into the emotions that drove him that day, and how things unfolded between the two players.
While the dust may have settled on the infamous altercation, it remains a moment many NFL fans still remember. And with Ramsey back in headlines this offseason as he angles for a trade from the Miami Dolphins, Tate’s timing in revisiting the feud couldn’t be more relevant.
Ex-NFL Star Golden Tate Reveals What Sparked His Heated On-Field Clash With Jalen Ramsey
Tate didn’t dive too deeply into the whole backstory, but on a June 2 appearance on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, he acknowledged that personal emotions were at play when he faced Ramsey during a New York Giants-Los Angeles Rams matchup in 2020. The root of the tension was Ramsey’s breakup with Tate’s sister, Breanna Tate, with whom Ramsey shares two children.
“[Jalen Ramsey] and one of my twin sisters have two children together; they went to the same high school. They were together. I don’t think my sister was done or treated the way she should have been treated,” Tate explained.
He admitted going into the matchup unsure of what to expect. “We get to the game and I’m like, I really don’t know what’s about to happen. But right away, he’s overly jamming me. And I’m like, ‘Okay, this is how we’re going to do.’”
The two collided several times that day, culminating in a key fourth-quarter play when Ramsey stopped Tate short of a first down, and emphatically drove him into the turf.
Jalen Ramsey form tackling the hell out of Golden Tate pic.twitter.com/zf8Y7w6Lpi
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 4, 2020
“I’m a damn postcard,” Tate joked, watching the replay. “I’m gonna be on a billboard. It didn’t hurt. It wasn’t even that bad of a hit. It’s just the optics of it. I mean, he lifted me, bruh. I got got.”
Tate also threw a bit of blame toward his teammate, Dion Lewis, for missing a block on the play: “This knucklehead didn’t block on this play right here that we’re watchin’.”
The game ended with fists flying. Ramsey and Tate squared off near midfield after the final whistle, and punches were exchanged before teammates, coaches and staff were forced to intervene. The NFL fined Ramsey $15,625, but neither player was suspended.
Jalen Ramsey and Golden Tate have a fight after the game.
Ramsey has 2 kids with Tate’s sister.
Ramsey was seen on the phone with somebody in full uniform pacing up and down the field long after the fight was broken up. pic.twitter.com/xDTLmhAWHG
— Obi, the Panthers fan in Texas (@obipanthers) October 4, 2020
Social Media Post That Lit the Fuse for the Tate-Ramsey Fight After New York Giants Loss to Los Angeles Rams
The feud first caught public attention in 2019 when a fan reposted a since-deleted Instagram photo of Ramsey with a new girlfriend, Las Vegas dancer Monica Giavanna. At the time, Tate was pregnant with the couple’s second child. One fan commented that the NFL player would surely want words with Ramsey, to which Tate responded, “he know he gonna have to see me.”
He know he gonna have to see me.
— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) October 24, 2019
That confrontation eventually came nearly a year later, in Week 4 of the 2020 season. The Rams won the game 17-9, keeping the Giants winless 0-4. But it was the postgame melee, not the score, that made headlines. According to ESPN, Ramsey waited outside the Giants’ locker room afterward, though a second clash was avoided.
Fast-forward to today, and Ramsey is once again in the spotlight. After an up-and-down 2024 season with Miami, the seven-time Pro Bowler is on the trade block. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on June 8 that Ramsey will not attend Dolphins minicamp as the team works to facilitate a trade.
Ramsey’s production dipped last season — just two interceptions, his lowest total since 2020 — but he still recorded 60 tackles and 11 passes defended. His massive contract could complicate any trade, with a $16.6 million cap hit looming for 2025.
For now, the cornerback’s next destination remains unknown. But his fiery past with Tate serves as a reminder that with Ramsey, things can always get personal — on and off the field.
