Iron sharpens iron, as the old saying goes, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ upcoming joint practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers just keeps getting better and better.
The Steelers have been busy this offseason. They traded for wideout D.K. Metcalf, nabbing him from the Seattle Seahawks, and they signed cornerback Darius Slay in free agency after he won another Super Bowl with the Phildadelphia Eagles. And prior to Monday, their most recent move was securing their quarterback, signing free agent Aaron Rodgers in what will likely be his last season in the NFL.
They weren’t done, though. The Steelers officially traded with the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, adding yet another piece to their arsenal. Miami will get safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in return — and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will get to work against Jalen Ramsey in joint practice when they head to Pittsburgh on Aug. 16.
The last time the Bucs played Ramsey in a regular-season game was in 2022, when Ramsey was with the Los Angeles Rams. The Dolphins held joint practice with the Buccaneers at the beginning of 2024, but Ramsey didn’t participate at the time — the Bucs are likely hoping he does this time around, as that level of competition will only make both teams better.
The Bucs would have faced off against Ramsey again this season in Week 17 had he still been a Dolphin, but now, Tampa Bay will only get to face off against him in training camp. It should still be a competitive enviornment, however, and with Metcalf, Slay and Rodgers there as well, the Bucs could be getting a handful in team drills.
