The NFL is back! While many fans are paying attention to what happens on the field, this time of year is also frequently filled with big contract extensions. Teams have been negotiating with their stars all summer long—or, in some cases, ignoring each other completely as talks stalled. Whatever the case, they generally want to come to an agreement before the season starts to avoid contract disputes becoming a distraction.
That was the case with the Miami Dolphins and their star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The two sides agreed on a contract two days before Miami’s first game.
Ramsey’s contract will pay him $72.3 million with $55.3 million guaranteed. The $24.1 million average annual value once again makes Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
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The seven-time Pro Bowler had to sit in second place for just a couple of days after the Denver Broncos signed Patrick Surtain II to a contract extension. But Ramsey is back on top after the Dolphins agreed to the new deal.
Ramsey has been a force in the league since the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him fifth overall in 2016. He’s made the Pro Bowl in every season and has earned three first-team All-Pro nods. Ramsey was also on the Los Angeles Rams team that won Super Bowl LVI.
He joined the Dolphins midway through the 2023 season and helped improve an already solid defense. Ramsey finished the year with 22 tackles, five pass deflections, and three interceptions. Before Miami, he spent a little over three seasons with the Jaguars before they traded him to the Rams, where he played from 2019 to 2022.
The Dolphins are paying Ramsey handsomely, and they’re hoping he can bring some of that Super Bowl magic from LA. Plus, it would be pretty cool to win a title in both states that host a Disney theme park, since “I’m going to Disney World!” is a classic victory statement.