The Pittsburgh Steelers have dominated the conversation throughout the 2025 offseason after their agreement with Aaron Rodgers, and they kept the pedal down when they finalized a trade for a future Hall of Fame cornerback in the still effective Jalen Ramsey.
Ramsey, who has demanded a trade from the Miami Dolphins weeks ago, was officially sent to the Steelers. However, in order to acquire someone capable of shutting down the opposing team's best wide receiver, the Steelers needed to pay a hefty price. This included parting ways with one of the best safeties in franchise history.
The Steelers traded former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami just a few years after Pittsburgh acquired the former No. 11 pick midway through his second season in the league. To make things even more complicated, Pittsburgh added tight end Jonnu Smith into the mix.
Pittsburgh acquired Smith and a 2027 seventh-round pick in the deal, all while including a fifth-round pick alongside Fitzpatrick in the package to head back to Miami. The Steelers landed their guy in Ramsey, but the price they paid to acquire him was steeper than anyone thought.
Full details of Steelers' Jalen Ramsey-Minkah Fitzpatrick trade revealed
Fitzpatrick has been everything the Steelers could have hoped for. In parts of six seasons, Fitzpatrick has made the Pro Bowl five times and been named a First Team All-Pro three times. Unless Ramsey is moving to safety (unlikely), Pittsburgh is loading up on elite cornerbacks.
Without Fitzpatrick in the fold, look for free agent signing Juan Thornhill and the recently extended DeShon Elliott to take ownership of the two starting spots. This is a severe downgrade from any room that had Fitzpatrick in it, but the Steelersfeel comfortable swallowing that pill after gettign Ramsey.
Ramsey now joins a cornerback room that features veteran standout Darius Slay and rising star Joey Porter Jr. Smith, meanwhile, will team with established starter Pat Freiermuth in order to form one of the best tight end rooms this league has to offer. It's impossible to argue that the Steelers didn't add impactful players, even if the cost seemed a bit steep.