What Ramsey Said About His Contract and Playing in the Opener

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey practiced Friday for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) looks on during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Jalen Ramsey was back on the practice field Friday when news of his contract extension with the Miami Dolphins became public.

After practice, he said it was not a coincidence, but the big question now is whether he can play in the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Ramsey has been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday for the past two weeks.

"Man, I always want to play football," Ramsey said. "Whenever I get the opportunity, I never take it for granted. I think there's one thing y'all learned from me last year, it's like any timelines I get, I try to break them. I try to be out there on the field as much as I can in any type of capacity. But I've also got to trust the training staff and the coaches and I've got to hold myself back, I guess, sometimes and be smart. So it's a struggle, but that's what we're working through right now. We'll see. We'll see when game day gets here what will be my availability and what capacity or whatever that may be."

Ramsey was listed as questionable on the final injury report of the week.

He pointed out that the Dolphins' Week 2 matchup against the Buffalo Bills next Thursday night could be a factor in the decision to hold him out of the opener.

"Yeah, I think that's a big key to this whole equation," Ramsey said. "It's two games in five days, so maybe people not realizing that but that's huge and you never trying to look ahead like that but you know obviously the opponents and the division game, just taking everything into the equation you've got to think about it all and be really smart."

Ramsey said he was confident in young cornerbacks Ethan Bonner and Storm Duck should they be called against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville is the franchise that drafted Ramsey out of Florida State, selecting him fifth overall in 2016, but he said facing the Jaguars held no special meaning. One reason is the fact he's already faced them, that coming in 2021 when his Los Angeles Rams won 37-7.

RAMSEY TALKS HIS NEW CONTRACT

Ramsey again became the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL with the new deal, which will average a hair over $24 million a year and overtake the contract signed by Patrick Surtain II with the Denver Broncos just this week.

Ramsey confirmed the extension was agreed to a few days ago, but he wanted to wait until he actually was practicing for the news to come out.

"It got done a few days ago," Ramsey said, "but, yeah, I just felt like it wasn't right to have it out there and not be happy on the field with the guys, so I just tried to hold it for a few days."

Ramsey discussed what the extension meant to him.

"It's always important to feel valued, first of all," he said. "Get paid for all your hard work and dedication and sacrifices and everything that you put into an organization and then rewards you with it. So it's all good."