The Fourth of July is still a few days away, but the NFL saw some fireworks on Monday. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins came to terms on a blockbuster trade that sends Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Steel City, while Minkah Fitzpatrick returns to South Beach. Miami also gets a 2027 fifth-round pick in the deal, and Pittsburgh lands a 2027 seventh-round pick.
This puts to bed two looming issues hovering over the Dolphins as the organization was working with Ramsey to find a trade partner. Meanwhile, the club was amid a contract dispute with Smith, who was entering the final year of his contract. They now both land with a Steelers team that has continued to make waves this offseason, initially spearheaded with the trade for wideout DK Metcalf and later signing of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Suddenly, Pittsburgh has thrust open a window of legit contention. As for the Dolphins, they face a 2025 season that appears to be a crossroads for the franchise, meaning the pressure is on for head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to land on their feet or potentially face a full-blown reset.
This trade certainly has shaken the NFL out of its summertime slumber, but who are the true winners and losers now that the dust is settling on the deal? Below, we’ll comb through an array of figures impacted by the blockbuster and detail why they are winners or losers.
Winners: Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith
Might as well start with the obvious ones, right? Ramsey’s departure from Miami was a storyline that hung over the corner throughout the offseason and now finally has a resolution. Not only that, but NFL Media reports that Pittsburgh adjusted his deal to give him a $1.5 million raise for the 2025 season. Similarly, Smith had been thrown about in trade talks this spring as he sought a new contract, and this trade to Pittsburgh reportedly also includes him getting a one-year contract extension worth $12 million. On top of both Ramsey and Smith getting their desired outcomes, they land with a team in the Steelers who are expected to be much more competitive than the Dolphins in 2025. So, their situations also result in them likely playing in more meaningful games throughout next season.
Loser: Mike McDaniel
As we noted above, the Dolphins feel like an organization that is at a crossroads. Even with Minkah Fitzpatrick coming back in the trade, they unquestionably got worse. Ramsey was a Pro Bowl player for the Dolphins during his first season with the franchise in 2023, and while his numbers dipped a bit in 2024, he still held opposing quarterbacks to just an 83.2 passer rating when targeted. Moreover, they don’t have a lot of depth at the corner position to absorb his loss. Yes, his situations did reach a point of no return, and a trade was inevitable, but the secondary could prove to be a critical weakness.
Meanwhile, Smith had proven to be one of the more dynamic pieces of the Dolphins’ offense in 2024. The veteran was unlocked within McDaniel’s offense, notching career highs in receptions and receiving yards along with matching his career-best with eight touchdown receptions. Now that piece has been subtracted.
All of those now put a tremendous amount of pressure on McDaniel, who is coming off his first under .500 season with the Dolphins, who were also on the outside looking in on the playoffs. We already listed McDaniel as a head coach with one of the hottest seats in the NFL entering 2025, and the road to save his job just got even more difficult.
Winner: Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers should be pretty stoked with his new team. While DK Metcalf will prove to be his go-to target when he drops back to pass, Pittsburgh was missing another receiving threat, especially after trading George Pickens to Dallas. Now, he not only gets a dynamic pass catcher in Jonnu Smith, but the veteran tight end should be able to hit the ground running with his new team and quarterback, thanks to his familiarity with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith can line up opposite Pat Freiermuth as a stellar tight end duo, and with Metcalf as the outside receiver, Rodgers will have plenty of opportunities to slice up opposing defenses.
Loser: Minkah Fitzpatrick
The Fitzpatrick angle to this trade may be the most puzzling. While this is something of a homecoming for the 28-year-old safety, as he was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the end of his tenure with the organization was tumultuous. Back in 2019, Fitzpatrick requested a trade out of Miami and was eventually granted with a trade to Pittsburgh. Of course, this is a different coaching staff than the one Fitzpatrick asked out of, but this return to South Beach does seem to be a little awkward, no? On top of that storyline, Fitzpatrick is on the opposite end of the spectrum from what we were discussing with Ramsey and Smith. While they join a team on the rise, Fitzpatrick heads to a Dolphins team that may have plateaued and could be in for a down year.
With Ramsey out the door, the Dolphins will need someone to step up in the cornerback room. His departure (and starting job) could give 2024 undrafted free agent Storm Duck an opportunity to establish himself as a possible starter in the league. The Louisville product played 14 games for the Dolphins last season, including three starts. When targeted, he allowed a 61.1 completion percentage along with a 100.2 passer rating. Those numbers aren’t exactly Ramsey-esque, but if Duck can be even a serviceable piece to Miami’s secondary, it could go a long way for his career.
Loser: Rest of the AFC North
The Pittsburgh Steelers are seemingly getting better by the day as we inch closer to training camp, which is bad news for the rest of the AFC North. Over the last month or so, they’ve added a future Hall of Fame quarterback and just now traded for a top corner and dynamic tight end to bolster the rest of the roster. Clearly, the Steelers are making these moves to seriously contend in 2025, which makes the road that much more difficult for their division rivals. While it may not entirely tip the scales away from teams like the Baltimore Ravens (the betting favorite to win the AFC North) or Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh is no longer a sure-fire win like they were when it was projected that Mason Rudolph could be their starter. On top of the division race heating up, Pittsburgh adding Ramsey and Smith could further put a dent in the overall playoff hopes of Baltimore and Cincinnati, and hurt the chances of any of them rivaling for the No. 1 seed in the conference.
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
June 30, 2025 | 12:30 pm
