After a rough 2022 season, the Los Angeles Rams made the difficult decision to part ways with some veterans in order to get their salary cap back in order.
Chief among them was cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was a huge part of the Rams’ Super Bowl nucleus after being acquired in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In four seasons with the Rams, Ramsey was named to three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro First Teams, establishing himself as one of the best corners in the league. And Ramsey didn’t leave the Rams on bad terms as everyone understood the situation and the organization even sent him to his preferred destination in the Miami Dolphins.
Now, Ramsey is set to return to SoFi Stadium for the first time as the Rams host the Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 10. Ahead of that matchup, head coach Sean McVay spoke about how much love and respect he still has for the cornerbacks.
“I love Jalen. We have a cool relationship and he knows the respect and the admiration that I have for him as a player and what he meant to this team,” McVay said. “There were a lot of tough decisions that were on the horizon for us as a football team and it didn’t have anything to do with us not wanting him here. There were a lot of things that we had to do as a result of some previous years and things of that nature. He understood that. It was important for us based on what he had done for us to try to be able to find a situation that suited both parties. Miami was somebody that was interested.
“Les and [Dolphins General Manager] Chris Grier were able to work out a deal. He was excited about that. [Ramsey’s Agent] David Mulugheta has always been a guy that, whether it’s with Jalen or some other clients, I’ve always appreciated what a pro he is, how straightforward [and] direct. He’s a guy who can get stuff done and he can be very helpful in facilitating that. It was smooth. I think Jalen was excited about that while also appreciative of a lot of great memories that we were able to have together.”
McVay also knows the Rams are in for a tough challenge going against Ramsey on Monday night.
“You see the guy that you’re familiar with just going against him,” McVay added. “Physical player, position flexversatility, and he has that edge. He’s one of those guys that’s so disruptive. He can make plays as a blitzer and if he gets his hands on the ball, demonstrated by last week, he’s usually going to catch it. Great player. You see a lot of the same things that made him such a fun guy to watch do his thing here. Hopefully, that won’t be the case on Monday night.”
It should be a fun matchup on Monday night as Ramsey goes against former teammate Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. The Rams have won three straight and are looking to keep it going, but there’s no doubt that Ramsey and the Dolphins would love to play spoiler at SoFi Stadium.
Rams safety Kamren Kinchens won NFC Defensive Player of the Week
Although the Rams’ secondary is a young and inexperienced group without Jalen Ramsey, they have been playing extremely well in recent weeks.
In the Week 9 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams had three interceptions. Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens had two of them, including one that he returned 103 yards for a touchdown en route to earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
