The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired CB Jalen Ramsey in an attempt to bolster their secondary, but the seven-time Pro Bowler brings another big personality for head coach Mike Tomlin to manage. Breaking down the trade that sent Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick, South Florida Sun Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde believes the Dolphins won’t miss the “headaches” that Ramsey caused in Miami.
“They won’t miss him regularly showing up for practice as the rest of the team was in the middle of stretching. They won’t miss how he constantly undermined defensive coordinator Vic Fangio two years ago and coach Mike McDaniel last season in a manner that spread like a bad odor through the larger team,” Hyde wrote. “He became a symbol of the Dolphins just collecting talent rather than building a team. Ramsey and Tyreek Hill were constantly late for practices or meetings in a manner that set the culture of last year’s Dolphins.”
He added that Miami was “forewarned” about attitude issues with Ramsey from his prior teams.
“[GM Chris] Grier still sent a third-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 and paid $52 million for Ramsey’s 27 starts, five interceptions, one Pro Bowl season and series of internal headaches right up to Monday’s trade.”
When it comes to setting a culture and keeping issues in-house, Tomlin is one of the best at both. He’s also a well-respected coach who players have talked about wanting to play for, and a change of scenery could eliminate some of Ramsey’s supposed issues.
Not that it’s great to hear Jalen Ramsey has the potential to be a cancer in the locker room. One of Pittsburgh’s biggest issues with WR George Pickens was repeated tardiness, and he was sent to the Dallas Cowboys in May. If Ramsey starts showing up late to practice in practice, it sets a bad example and won’t sit well with his new teammates.
What the Steelers also have besides Tomlin that the Dolphins lack is proven defensive leaders. Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt are already established as leaders on Pittsburgh’s defense, and Patrick Queen can grow in that role. Ramsey isn’t walking into the room as the best player on defense, and he more than likely won’t be able to get away with some of the issues he had in Miami if he tries to pull the same things.
The Dolphins struggled to an 8-9 record last season after making the playoffs in 2023, and Ramsey’s unhappiness with the team’s performance and the direction it was heading could’ve factored into his attitude. He seems excited to be with the Steelers — he has already connected with Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu — and the Steelers seem to believe whatever issues he had in the locker room will stay in Miami. If they continue into his Pittsburgh tenure, the Steelers may have a problem on their hands.
