Surprise Makes Vikings’ Dublin Game Even Trickier
The Minnesota Vikings would probably never have a cakewalk in Dublin this September, taking on Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that’s always at least decent.
The Vikings’ overseas foe just got a major enhancement with a splashy trade for the Steelers. The 2025 Dublin tryst suddenly looks a lot tougher.
But the Steelers turned frisky this week, trading for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Out of nowhere, the Steelers feel like a brand new beast.
The Surprise Jalen Ramsey Trade for Steelers
No one was too sure where Ramsey would end up after the Dolphins confirmed his trade availability two months ago. Yet, most didn’t have the Steelers on the list of destinations.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz broke the news Monday, “BREAKING: The Dolphins are trading star CB Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers, per multiple sources. Pittsburgh makes another huge splash as Ramsey finds a new home.”
The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini added full trade details:
The full Dolphins-Steelers trade, per source:
PIT receives:
CB Jalen Ramsey
TE Jonnu Smith
2027 seventh-round pickMIA receives:
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
2027 fifth-round pick
And with the snap of two fingers, the Steelers added a future Hall of Fame cornerback.
The Vikings’ Assignment in Dublin Just Became Tricky
The Steelers added cornerback Jalen Ramsey via trade with the Dolphins on Monday.
Pittsburgh Now a Formidable Opponent
Before Monday, the Steelers’ roster offered a mediocre feeling, leaving NFL fans to wonder why Aaron Rodgers would click in Pittsburgh if he and the New York Jets flopped in 2024. The Jets showcased a strong roster, so it wasn’t like Rodgers needed more help.
He proved he wasn’t the same dude who won the league MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, ranking 22nd in the NFL per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric that paints a clearer picture than raw volume stats.
Now, however, equipped with Ramsey, the Steelers have all-new flair. They’re making a run at the Super Bowl, and if that doesn’t work, they may tear it down, as Rodgers has claimed he’s playing just one more season.
Steelers’ Offseason Moves
The 33rd Team‘s Ari Meirov tweeted about the Steelers’ uncharacteristic offseason: “The Steelers are having one of the most un-Steelers offseasons ever: Waited for and signed 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers. Traded for DK Metcalf & gave him $33M/yr. Acquired Jalen Ramsey & Jonnu Smith. Traded away Minkah Fitzpatrick. Unconventional doesn’t even begin to cover it. Feels unprecedented for them.”
Tomlin and friends are going all in. While his team is always relevant with a winning record, this offseason has involved chips pushed into the middle of the table.
Pittsburgh also drafted defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in Round 1 back in April, a trenchman heavily linked to the Vikings during the draft’s lead-up.
All Hinges on Aaron Rodgers
The litmus test here is fairly straightforward. If Rodgers rekindles his glory days from 2020 and 2021, the Steelers can make a major playoff push in the AFC. Rodgers probably would’ve played better last year if he still had gas in the tank, but we shall see on his possible reclamation.
If Rodgers plays like the version of himself from last year — slow, immobile, mistake-prone — the Steelers will finish 9-8 or 8-9, at best, and the experiment will be called a failure.
It all boils down to Rodgers’ ability to call on the past. The guy was deadly as recently as four years ago. A team led by Rodgers hasn’t produced a winning record since 2021.
More on the Jalen Ramsey Trade
Pittsburgh Gazette‘s Brian Batko and Ray Fittipaldo added more details on the Ramsey trade: “Ramsey has versatility that appeals to the Steelers on top of his reputation as a true shutdown outside cornerback. He also has played inside cornerback and could even be part of the replacement plan for Fitzpatrick at safety. In his first five seasons with the Steelers, Fitzpatrick had 19 interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.”
“In 2023, he failed to have an interception for the first time in his career and last season he had just one, with defensive coordinator Teryl Austin saying earlier this month they’re always trying to figure out the best schematic ways to get more takeaways from Fitzpatrick. Still, trading the 2022 team MVP comes as a major surprise given how integral Fitzpatrick, 28, had been to everything the Steelers do in their secondary.”
All things considered, offloading Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro, is risky business.
Batko and Fittipaldo added, “He was set to make $15.5 million in salary in 2025 and carried a $22.3 million cap hit, while 2026 is his final season under contract. Now, Fitzpatrick goes to where his career began as the 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Ramsey, who turns 31 in October, is a physical specimen at 6-foot-1, 209 pounds.”
“He was the fifth overall pick out of Florida State in 2016 after running a 4.41 40-yard dash at that size, then spent his first three seasons with the Jaguars before being traded to the Rams in October 2019. Two seasons later, he helped the Rams win the Super Bowl.”
The Vikings remain a 1.5-point favorite — although rather early — to topple Ramsey and the Steelers. The line could change if the Steelers hop out to a fast start in 2025 against the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, and New England Patriots.
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