MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the Miami Dolphins have agreed on a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the agreement.
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NFL Network first reported the deal that will pay Ramsey $24.1 million per year and make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, reached just days after the Denver Broncos signed their star cornerback Patrick Surtain II to a four-year contract extension.
The $24 million-per-year average on Surtain's deal vaulted him past Tampa Bay safety Antoine Winfield Jr. ($21.025 million) and Green Bay cornerback Jaire Alexander ($21 million) as the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL. Ramsey's per-year average makes him the league's highest-paid defensive back for the second time in his career.
The Dolphins acquired Ramsey in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams last offseason. He suffered a knee injury early in his first training camp in Miami and missed the first half of the 2023 season after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He returned to have three interceptions, five pass breakups and 22 tackles in 10 games.
Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has described Ramsey as the “ultimate chess piece” that the team can move around the field to maximize his impact, which has been felt since he entered the NFL as the Jacksonville Jaguars' fifth overall pick in 2016.
Ramsey has 474 career tackles, 22 interceptions, six forced fumbles and 97 pass breakups.
Coach Mike McDaniel, confirming Ramsey's extension Friday, said the seven-time Pro Bowler immediately embraced a leadership role when he arrived in Miami, which has been beneficial for both him and the team — even when he isn't on the field.
“The real leaders and real influencers on a football team don’t have to play to positively affect their teammates,” McDaniel said.
Ramsey had not practiced in several weeks and was listed with a hamstring injury this week, putting his status for Miami’s season opener against Jacksonville in question.
Weaver said Thursday that he is hopeful Ramsey will be available Sunday, but with another game on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, the team needs to be smart.
“He’s doing everything he can in the training room to try to put himself out there,” Weaver said. "We just got to be smart and cognizant that we do have two games in ... a little over a week, so we’ll see.”
Ramsey joined several other Miami players who signed extensions this offseason, including receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back Raheem Mostert.
Star receiver Tyreek Hill also agreed to a restructured contract that raised his four-year total of fully guaranteed money to $106.5 million, and the Dolphins made quarterback Tua Tagovailoa their highest paid player when they gave him a four-year contract extension in July worth $212.4 million.
In addition to locking in their star players, the Dolphins last month extended McDaniel through the 2028 season, hoping he can lead Miami to its first playoff win in 24 years.
Ramsey, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams after the 2021 season, was named a captain by his teammates for the 2024 season, along with Tagovailoa, Hill and veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
“Elite players, there’s several of them in the league that have that captain mentality,” McDaniel said, “and when you have that captain mentality and are a competitor that wants to dictate the terms, you have a rise in everyone’s competitiveness. And that’s an overall win for the Miami Dolphins.”
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