The Miami Dolphins have an interesting situation on their hands heading into mandatory minicamp, as they are reportedly exploring trade options with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. After June 1 passed, a trade involving Ramsey became much more plausible for the Dolphins to pull off, but no deal has materialized yet, leading to an eye-opening admission from head coach Mike McDaniel.
Had Ramsey been traded before June 1, Miami would have had to absorb a dead cap hit of $25.193 million in 2025, which was always going to be a tough pill to swallow. If Ramsey gets traded now, though, the dead cap hit would be just $6.745 million this season, with the remaining $18.448 hitting the 2026 salary cap. The Dolphins haven't traded Ramsey yet, but McDaniel doesn't seem too concerned about his status.
“I don’t really check in on a day-to-day [basis],” McDaniel said of the Ramsey trade rumors. “Zero has changed from my end. I let [General Manager] Chris [Grier] work, and I’m diligently coaching.”
Mike McDaniel not worried about Jalen Ramsey trade rumors
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Ramsey signed a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension with the Dolphins right before the 2024 campaign, but less than a year later, the team is looking to move on from him. Ramsey wasn't the same Pro Bowl caliber player we've become used to seeing last season, but he still racked up 60 tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes batted, and a sack while starting all 17 games for Miami.
Now, both sides seem to be OK with moving on from each other, but even with a significant deadline passing, nothing has happened just yet. That could change in the near future, and it would be a surprise if Ramsey is with the Dolphins to start the new season. But right now, McDaniel has bigger fish to fry, and he seems perfectly content to let the front office handle the Ramsey situation while he focuses on getting his team ready for the new season.