Getty Jalen Ramsey closes in on Seattle's D.K. Metcalf during his first season with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019.
It’s well established that Jalen Ramsey is content with being on the Los Angeles Rams. After all, he’s no longer dealing with the turbulent relationship he had with the Jacksonville Jaguars that led to his trade in 2019.
However, on the Tuesday evening edition of the “Catchin’ Fades” podcast with former L.A. Ram and 2016 Super Bowl champion Aqib Talib, the Rams cornerback admitted that he didn’t think he would end up on the Rams when trade offers were being leaked out. Ramsey spoke on it near the 45:30 mark of his podcast interview.
“I didn’t even know L.A. was even in play. I’m like ‘L.A.? They already got their corners. They got Aqib and M.P. (Marcus Peters). I know I ain’t going there,'” Ramsey told Talib.
Of course, we all know where the four-time Pro Bowler went. But he finally revealed what really went down on how he became a Ram. Plus, he explained how in Jacksonville the players began to have a distaste for vice president of football operations and former NFL coach Tom Coughlin, which helped culminate in his departure from Florida’s largest city.
But also on the podcast, Ramsey blurted out three places that he originally thought he was going to move to.
Three Cities East of the Rocky Mountains Were Potential Destinations
When Ramsey’s agent David Mulugheta was fielding trade offers, Ramsey’s initial thought process was he’s going to stay along the east coast or trek to the Midwest.
“The only teams I was thinking I was going to, maybe there was a chance I would go to Philly, maybe there’s a chance I go to Baltimore or maybe there’s a chance I go to Kansas City,” Ramsey shared with Talib.
Ramsey then tells the five-time Pro Bowler Talib that he’ll never forget what happened on October 15, 2019 when he received a call from Mulugheta.
“I’ll never forget it. I was in Target,” Ramsey said. “My agent called me and said ‘Baltimore is out of play.’ And I say ‘What do you mean Baltimore is out of play?’ He said ‘Baltimore just traded for Marcus Peters.’ And I said ‘Marcus Peters is gone from L.A.?’ He then said ‘Yeah…L.A. might be in play.'”
Excited while inside the retail store, Ramsey became convinced that he was finally going to get his trade wished granted with a team he didn’t anticipate to play for.
“I said ‘L.A?!’ He said ‘Yeah. Would you want to play in L.A.?’ And I said ‘I’m there!’ If L.A. calls, I’m there,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey already had his bags packed and ready to go wherever a trade would get finalized. But again, he didn’t think it would be the Rams.
“My first thought was, he (Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell) traded me to the Chargers,” Ramsey said. “And I’m thinking I’m going to be with my dawg Derwin James and be with Gus Bradley. But then was told it was the Rams.”
Talib Ribs Ramsey for Taking Over his Spot
Ramsey was all smiles the moment he touched down to Southern California, but it was a different story for the host of “Catchin’ Fades,” to which Talib playfully took a jab at the Ram.
“2019, you come and take my job,” Talib said laughing. “I’m like ‘What the f***? What’s going on?’ That s*** was crazy to me Jalen.”
To which Ramsey responded “That was one of the craziest situations to me, to be honest with you.”
The trade would have never happened if the Rams were willing to give up on two of their starting corners to get Ramsey. Now, Talib has one of the more popular NFL podcasts on social media platforms, whereas Ramsey is loving wearing the blue, white and “sol” yellow.
“It’s love over here,” Ramsey said.