Big Vikings Trade Idea Is Dead
The dream has died.
The Vikings trade won’t happen for Jalen Ramsey after all — a deal is done with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Back to the drawing board.
Jalen Ramsey will not become the newest member of the Minnesota Vikings, at least not in 2025.
The Pittsburgh Steelers stepped up to the plate Monday morning, some four weeks before the start of training camp, acquiring Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins.
You Can Stick a Fork in Vikings Trade Theories for Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey is the newest member of Mike Tomlin’s team.
Jalen Ramsey Traded to the Steelers
Ramsey is on the move, joining Mike Tomlin’s team, a club that evidently has one year to win a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.
NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero tweeted Monday, “Blockbuster: The Steelers have finalized a trade to acquire All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey from the Dolphins, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport. Ramsey’s adjusted contract includes a $1.5 million raise in 2025, making his salary $26.6M this year.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter added context from the Dolphins’ perspective, “Jalen Ramsey is now the fourth Dolphins captain from last season no longer on the team in 2025, joining Terron Armstead, Calais Campbell, and David Long Jr.”
The Dolphins received safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for Ramsey, with Jonnu Smith heading to Pittsburgh, as well. The club also reportedly swapped late-round draft picks.
An Offseason Trade Rumor Dies
Ramsey showed up in the Vikings’ theoretical trade radar in April after Dolphins general manager Chris Grier all but announced that his star cornerback would be shipped elsewhere.
Minnesota may or may not have a cornerback need, depending on one’s opinion, and because Ramsey won a Super Bowl with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2021 out in Los Angeles, Minnesota became a logical landing spot.
The rumor mill persisted for over two months, ending on Monday when the Steelers took the plunge.
The Steelers’ New Look CB Room
After the deal for Ramsey, this is Pittsburgh’s new-look CB room:
- Jalen Ramsey
- Joey Porter Jr.
- Darius Slay
- Beanie Bishop Jr.
- Cory Trice Jr.
- James Pierre
- Brandin Echols
- Kyler McMichael
- D’Shawn Jamison
- Done Kent
- Cameron McCutcheon
The big three headlining the ticket is formidable if injuries don’t beset Ramsey or Slay due to age.
Other CB Options for the Vikinngs
What next for the Vikings at cornerback? Well, they could do nothing. The team employs Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, Dwight McGlothern, and Ambry Thomas as players who will or could play substantial defensive snaps in 2025.
Otherwise, trade options for players like Greg Newsome II, Tariq Woolen, or Trevon Diggs, for example, could be explored.
And from free agency, Mike Hilton, Asante Samuel Jr., Jack Jones, Rasul Douglas, and Stephon Gilmore remain available on the open market.
Former Vikings corner Shaquill Griffin signed with the Seattle Seahawks last week.
More on Ramsey to Pittsburgh
SteelersNation.com’s Anthony Halkias II wrote about the deal, “The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a major splash by trading for three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, according to ESPN. This move shows the front office is serious about contending right now. Ramsey is still one of the top defensive backs in the NFL and instantly makes the Steelers defense more dangerous.”
“As part of the trade, Ramsey will receive a $1.5 million raise this season, bringing his 2025 compensation to $26.6 million. That bump in pay shows how much Pittsburgh values what he brings to the table. They are not just bringing in a big name but a proven cornerback that can help improve this secondary.”
Sporting News‘ Billy Heyen on the Dolphins’ angle, “After a disappointing 2025, head coach Mike McDaniel will surely want a better year this time around, or things could start to get tense for the Dolphins. They’ll need good leadership this year, too.”
“It’ll have to start with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who hopefully stays healthy, but there are so many more layers to a football team than the QB, so it’ll take more than Tua. It’ll be a new leadership look all the way around after all these departures.”
Some onlookers were stunned that Pittsburgh would part ways with Fitzpatrick, a five-time Pro Bowler who is two years younger than Ramsey. The Dolphins originally drafted him in 2018, so Miami has its man back in the saddle.
It’s worth noting that Miami now needs a tight end. Pharaoh Brown is the only option, and nobody knows who that is.
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