The Detroit Lions are one of the biggest contenders to take home a championship in 2025. After reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2023 and finishing with a 15-2 record in 2024, the Lions currently have the fifth-best odds to win the Super Bowl according to DraftKings Sportsbook and already have one of the NFL’s top rosters.
Even with the chances of winning their first conference championship since the AFL-NFL merger being high, there’s still an argument to be made that one move could pull it altogether. One player that the Lions were linked to during the NFL Draft could have been the missing piece to a run to a title. But those dreams were dashed as the Lions missed their opportunity on Monday.
Lions Trade Target Jalen Ramsey Dealt to Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins made a blockbuster trade as the Dolphins sent Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Steelers also acquired tight end Jonnu Smith in the trade.
All in all:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 30, 2025
Steelers get:
🏈Jalen Ramsey
🏈Jonnu Smith
Dolphins get:
🏈Minkah Fitzpatrick
🏈Late-round pick pic.twitter.com/ASBUsw2wu3
A deal between two AFC teams doesn’t seem to have much effect on the Lions although they’ll host the Steelers on Dec. 21. But the Lions were reportedly linked to Ramsey ahead of the NFL Draft according to Outkick’s Armando Salguero.
“Ramsey wants to be on a winner. The Dolphins have talked to the Rams, Falcons, Lions Commanders, Eagles and others,” Salguero wrote.
The Dolphins wound up waiting past the June 1 date and only swallowed $6.7 million in dead money as part of the trade. But the Lions would have been interesting trade partners due to the state of their secondary.
Detroit enters the season in a good spot at cornerback after signing DJ Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract in free agency. Terrion Arnold enters his second season after Detroit used its first-round pick on the Alabama product in the 2024 draft and Amik Robertson was a serviceable player in the slot.
Yet, the Lions also saw how quickly things could change with 13 defensive players on season-ending injured reserve by the end of last season. Adding Ramsey would have also given the Lions a solid top cornerback duo with Arnold serving as an understudy to further grasp the defense in his second season.
In the end, the Lions didn’t have an expendable player to send back to Miami and with $40 million in cap space, Detroit can wait to see if a different opportunity opens up before next season’s trade deadline. Either way, the Lions may have missed out on their shot to go all in and will likely roll with the players that are currently on the roster.