Seven-time Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey’s destination for the 2025 season seems increasingly unlikely to be with head coach Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams. The cornerback, reportedly unhappy with the Miami Dolphins and placed on the trade block, is looking to join a more competitive team despite having signed an extension with Miami in 2024.
However, despite speculation linking him to the Rams and interest from both sides to make it happen, a trade is not that simple. The team’s head coach commented that there are obstacles that could make the move unfeasible at this time.
What’s Standing in the Way of Jalen Ramsey Rejoining the Los Angeles Rams?
Ramsey’s time with the Rams was productive and left a positive legacy for the franchise. Acquired via trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2019 season, he was selected to the First-Team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021 and played a key role in helping the team win Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In March 2023, the Dolphins traded tight end Hunter Long and the No. 77 overall pick in that year’s draft to acquire Ramsey. They later signed him to a three-year, $72.3 million extension that keeps him under contract through the 2028 season. However, just one year after signing the extension, Ramsey has requested a trade, and didn’t even attend Miami’s mandatory minicamp.
As the #Dolphins and star CB Jalen Ramsey continue to work towards a trade, Ramsey is not planning to attend mandatory minicamp this week, sources say. He’ll stay away, as the situation works to a conclusion. pic.twitter.com/To0BV3pHUs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 8, 2025
McVay addressed the possibility of bringing Ramsey back but made it clear that, while it’s not completely off the table, there are obstacles that make a potential deal difficult at the moment.
“Usually, those are scenarios and situations that you have to have plans in place prior to executing some of the decisions that have occurred,” McVay said. “Definitely don’t want to rule anything out because we’re always open-minded to onboarding and acquiring quality players and people like him if we’re able to do that, but there would be some obstacles that are real that are in the place of maybe preventing that from occurring.”
Ramsey’s contract carries $24.235 million guaranteed at signing, but it doesn’t kick in until the 2026 season. His base salary in 2025 is just $1.255 million. A trade would leave the Dolphins with $10.745 million in dead cap in 2025 and $18.468 million in 2026, making the move a painful proposition for the Dolphins. Miami saves over $5.9 million in 2025, but the challenge for whoever lands Ramsey lies in the following years of the contract.
Starting in 2026, Jalen Ramsey’s base salary rises to $10 million with a $25.033 million cap hit, but no guarantees remain. If traded, the Dolphins would pay out his remaining guarantees over two years because of the post-June 1 designation. This gives any acquiring team the option to move on after 2025 with minimal penalty, making the deal easy to treat as a one-year rental if desired.
Trading CB Jalen Ramsey
New Team Acquires
2025: $5.9M ($21.1M cash)
2026: $18.2M ($21M cash)
2027: $20M ($21M cash)
2028: $31.2M ($24M cash)
2029: $12.3M (void)#Dolphins Dead Cap
2025: $10.7M ($5.9M saved)
2026: $18.4M ($6.5M saved)$20M of 2025 salary is fully guaranteed,…
— Spotrac (@spotrac) June 3, 2025
There is also the question of what Miami is asking in return. At this point in his career, it’s unlikely Ramsey would command more than a fourth-round pick, but it remains unclear what the Dolphins are requesting and whether Los Angeles is willing to part with a draft pick to make it happen.