Back in March 2023, the Dolphins traded for Jalen Ramsey, sending tight end Hunter Long and a third-round pick to the Rams. Ramsey’s arrival was met with enthusiasm, but a torn meniscus in July sidelined him until late October. Despite the injury, the head coach, Mike McDaniel, was not shying away from praising the veteran CB. “I can’t say enough good things about that guy. He’s one of my top 3 favorite players of all time,” he said.

Sounds like a fairytale for a seasoned vet, doesn’t it? But it’s not. Fast forward to now, and the situation has shifted to a rocky relationship between Ramsey and the HC. FOX’s Armando Salguero reported that their relationship is now “irreparably broken.” Almost a month ago, McDaniel announced that the team was seeking potential trade partners for Ramsey, just like that.

Enter the Rams, the former team of Ramsey, and a potential trade partner for the Dolphins. The 30-year-old CB spent three seasons in L.A. and won the Super Bowl in his second season for the team, where he had one solo tackle and two pass deflections against the 49ers. So, a reunion could be on the table.

To make it spicier, head coach Sean McVay chimed in and admitted that he’s in contact with Ramsey even though they parted ways a couple of years back. “He is a total stud, and you look at, obviously, he has continued to play at a really high level. He and I have kept in great touch even since we ended up trading him to Miami. Special competitor, great person, great father,” McVay noted. Sounds like the Rams are going to trade for him, right?

Well, that’s the tricky part. McVay believes that the Dolphins are having talks with multiple teams for a potential trade. “There are a lot of layers when you’re talking about a player of his caliber with regards to the contract, the compensation that they would be looking for in exchange for receiving a player of his magnitude. And so those conversations are ongoing, as I’m sure they are with multiple teams,” he continued.

And to make it more obvious, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk addressed McVay’s statement, and reported that “It sounds like if you listen to McVay, there are multiple teams at the table. That’s the key for the Dolphins.” It sounds pretty simple as that: the Dolphins want to trade Ramsey as they’re open to a trade. But it’s not that straightforward thing.

The Miami team has all options at the table. Rams? Sure. Any other teams? Why not. It could be the Raiders, the Titans, or any other team. We’ve no clue. Because at the end of the day, Mike McDaniel and Co. want to go ahead with the best deal available on the table. After all, Jalen Ramsey’s contract is a big thing to tackle in a trade.

Jalen Ramsey is due $24 million in 2025

Ahead of the 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay, the rumor mill was buzzing that the Dolphins would trade Jalen Ramsey. But now that the draft is done and dusted, the 30-year-old CB is still in Miami. Why? That’s because of his massive contract. Back in 2024, the Dolphins decided to extend Ramsey on a three-year, $72.3 million deal. And after the 2024 season wrapped up, he still has four years left on his contract.

The thing is, Ramsey is due $24 million in 2025. And that’s where things get pretty interesting and kind of tough for the team. See, the Dolphins have already paid $4 million to Ramsey in bonuses. And now if we add a base salary of $1.2 million, they’re still responsible for $21.1 million of his overall amount, given they’re trading him.

So, if we round that all up, the pre-June 1 trade would incur nearly $25 million dead cap hit in 2025. However, let’s just say the Miami team manages to hold Jalen Ramsey on their roster till June 1, then the cap hit would drop down to $18 million. Or maybe more. But there is a nearly $10 million difference.

In that sense, the acquiring team will have to assume the remaining contract, which will be around $21 million—given the team has already paid $4 million in bonus. Plain and simple. Would that be the Rams or any other team? We’ll find that out soon.