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Rival Scout Sheds Light on Real Reason Dolphins Are Looking to Trade Jalen Ramsey

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Craig Ellenport | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Miami Dolphins open training camp for the 2025 NFL season in less than a month, and the fate of one of their star players — veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey — remains uncertain.

Multiple reports say it is very likely the seven-time Pro Bowler will be traded before the season begins, though it hasn’t happened yet. According to one rival scout, however, the move seems inevitable.

Ramsey, who will be 31 in October, recently signed a contract extension making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. His cap hit for the 2025 season is $16.6 million.

Still, the rival scout told Athlon Sports that the Dolphins’ desire to move Ramsey has less to do with his salary and is more about how he gets along with head coach Mike McDaniel.

“The broken relationship between Jalen Ramsey and McDaniel is why he’s on the trade block,” said the anonymous scout.

“No one has been able to explain what happened, but I was told this actually has nothing to do with money. It’s a vote of no confidence in McDaniel. If the Ramsey trade goes down, this is a huge talent drain in the secondary.”

Those comments were made as part of the exclusive Dolphins scouting report in the Athlon Sports 2025 NFL Preview magazine, available online and at newsstands now.

Trading Ramsey would leave Miami with a young and inexperienced secondary that ranked middle-of-the-pack last season with Ramsey. That would make the Dolphins even more dependent on edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb to make healthy returns from their respective ACL tears. Without Phillips and Chubb helping second-year edge Chop Robinson in the pass rush, it could be a long season for the Dolphins’ pass defense if Ramsey isn’t there.

Rookies report to Dolphins training camp on July 15; veterans report July 22.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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