Steelers predicted to cut ties with $84 million defender in trade with Bills
Steelers predicted to cut ties with $84 million defender in trade with Bills originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a decision to make with cornerback Jalen Ramsey this offseason.
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Ramsey is under contract through 2028, but he will account for a cap hit of $19.5 million in 2026 and the Steelers might opt to remove that off their books with Ramsey not being the same elite cornerback he once was.
If they cut Ramsey, the Steelers wouldn’t incur any dead money, as the veteran cornerback’s deal doesn’t have any guaranteed money left on it.
If the Steelers are considering cutting Ramsey this offseason, they will likely explore a trade first to try and get something for him.
Behind The Steel Curtain’s Jarrett Bailey believes the Steelers will ultimately find a trade partner for Ramsey in the Buffalo Bills. Bailey sees the Bills sending the Steelers a 2027 fourth-round pick in the projected trade.
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“Ramsey is 32, and the Steelers need to get younger defensively. The Bills are forever in win-now mode as long as Josh Allen is playing at a high level,” Bailey said. “Buffalo gets secondary help while the Steelers get a high Day Three pick in the 2027 NFL Draft — a piece they could potentially use to move up for a quarterback.”
The Bills figure to be in the market for a cornerback this offseason.
Tre’Davious White is set to be a free agent and it remains to be seen if the Bills trust 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston to step into a starting role across from Christian Benford.
Ramsey would offer an experienced and versatile option in the secondary for the Bills. The seven-time Pro Bowler played snaps inside and out in 2025, and also played at safety.
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However, Ramsey struggled mightily in coverage, giving up a completion rate of 70.4% and a passer rating of 118.1 when targeted.
It’s very clear Ramsey’s best days are behind him and he is not worth his current deal.
The only way we could see a cap-strapped team like the Bills making this trade is if Ramsey agrees to take a significant pay cut. Even if Ramsey agrees, we’re not sure Buffalo would be keen on giving up a fourth-round pick for him.
The Bills would be better off simply re-signing White, who had much better coverage numbers than Ramsey and would cost a lot less.
