Steelers Clearly Won Massive Trade With Dolphins For 1 Main Reason

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been extremely active throughout the 2025 offseason, and the roster is going to look very different going into the regular season in comparison to what it looked like in 2024. The wide receiver room has changed with the addition of DK Metcalf and departure of George Pickens, Aaron Rodgers will now be at quarterback, and Jalen Ramsey will be lining up on defense for Pittsburgh. He was recently acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins that also saw Pittsburgh obtain tight end Jonnu Smith in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Whenever a big trade occurs in any sport, fans around the league are immediately debating which side won the deal. This will likely wind up being the biggest trade of the 2025 offseason, so there was a lot of conversation on Monday discussing whether Miami or Pittsburgh is better off after the deal was completed. Well-respected analyst Brian Baldinger joined Green Light With Chris Long on Monday and the two were talking about the trade. Baldinger believes Pittsburgh probably has the upper hand.

"Jonnu Smith played for Arthur Smith in Tennessee, he always loved him," Baldinger said. "They needed a tight end, especially a move tight end like that, and we'll see what Jalen's like, and you get [Darius] Slay, [Joey] Porter Jr., you get Jalen Ramsey. You can lock up pretty good on the outside with some of these corners. I feel like Pittsburgh got the better deal right now."

Pittsburgh didn't necessarily need a tight end, but a tight end with the receiving ability of Smith is certainly welcomed. He can line up in the slot and aid the passing game, while Pat Freiermuth will likely be attached to the line of scrimmage most of the time. Either way, fans are going to see a lot of situations where there are two or three tight ends on the field.

The biggest part of the trade that makes the Steelers win the deal with Miami is that they got Ramsey. Pittsburgh already has Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay, but Ramsey's versatility and talent is something that Pittsburgh could not deny. Those three cornerbacks are going to make life difficult on opposing quarterbacks, and it should also make things easier for the guys up front on the defense.

A good pass rush paired with elite cornerbacks in man coverage is a lethal combination. Those three cornerbacks are going to give the elite pass rush of Pittsburgh's defense more time to get home on the quarterback, or at least get some pressure to potentially force quarterbacks into making some mistakes.

The other part of the trade is the Steelers losing Fitzpatrick. He is still considered a top-tier safety in the league, but the secondary for Pittsburgh has collapsed some over the last couple of years, and Fitzpatrick has just one takeaway in the last two seasons combined. He has struggled with injuries some, but he is just not the player he used to be. He now gets a fresh start down in Miami, which is probably good for the veteran.

Steelers Now Have An In-House Rivalry

The Steelers brought in Metcalf earlier in the 2025 offseason, and now the team has acquired Ramsey. Those two have a lot of history going against one another, and things have often gotten pretty heated on the field between the players. Metcalf was with the Seattle Seahawks and Ramsey was with the Los Angeles Rams for quite some time. The two were divisional rivals, and Ramsey always lined up across from Metcalf, and tensions often rose throughout those contests.

Now, the two are on the same team, and that is a matchup that many will be paying attention to during training camp ahead of the regular season. This is something Khan certainly considered ahead of making a deal, and a conversation was probably had with Metcalf. The two are professionals, and will probably excel together on the same roster.

What do you think about the Steelers' trade? Did they win the deal? Comment below!

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