Steelers trading for Jalen Ramsey should have Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins licking their chops based on their last meeting against him

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 3:12 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers stunned the NFL world Monday morning by trading safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.

Sending Fitzpatrick back to his original team raised a lot of eyebrows, but Ramsey ending up in Pittsburgh wasn't the shocking part. This will be Ramsey's fourth team as he enters his 10th season in the league, and the Steelers were the favorite for his next destination.

Now it's real, and that's quite alright for the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

The last time Ramsey played against the Bengals was the biggest win of his life. He helped defeat Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI as an All-Pro for the Los Angeles Rams over three years ago.

L.A. emerged victorious, but Ramsey didn't exactly have the best performance. Chase and Higgins made sure of that.

Ramsey was targeted a total of nine times by quarterback Joe Burrow that night and five receptions were allowed with the former fifth-overall pick in coverage. Chase and Higgins combined for four of those receptions that went for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Chase burned Ramsey for a 46-yard reception late in the first quarter, setting up the Bengals' first points of the game a few plays later.

Higgins had his turn on the first play of the third quarter, high-pointing a Burrow bomb down the left sideline against Ramsey and running it in for a 75-yard touchdown. (WARNING: video below contains explicit music):

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Again, that game was over three years ago. Chase was a rookie phenom taking the NFL by storm and Higgins was only in his second season as well. Ramsey is now 30 years old and will turn 31 days after the Bengals play Ramsey's Steelers for the first of two matchups this upcoming season.

If they can outshine Ramsey then, they can do so again on his new team as well.

Chase and Higgins are now in the midst of their primes, fresh off major contract extensions, while Pittsburgh is banking on Ramsey having at least one more solid season in him as Aaron Rodgers is likely to retire after this year.

Ramsey's role within the Steelers' defense is likely to be different compared to what he's done for the first nine years of his career, but the Bengals' weaponry on offense behooves teams like the Steelers to make these moves, not the other way around.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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