Former Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey adopts right approach in Week 13

Back in 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the top teams in the NFL, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey was on his way to superstardom. However, things have changed since then. Ramsey has established himself as a mainstay of the Los Angeles Rams’ secondary after being traded in 2019. Meanwhile, the Jags have come crashing down and have struggled to rack up wins over the last three years.

Ramsey will face off against his former team in Week 13, when the Jaguars travel to the West Coast to take on the Rams. It would be reasonable to think he’s excited about the prospect of playing against the team that took him in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft but that’s not how he’s feeling. Instead, the two-time All-Pro designation told the media he doesn’t care.

Furthermore, he sees it as “just another game… no more, no less“, via MJ Hurley of Ram Digest.

"To be honest, I don’t care. It’s cool. It was part of my journey. Do you know what I mean? I’m grateful for my time there, but I’m here now. I’m happy to be here. So, it is what it is. This ain’t really like about me playing Jacksonville. It’s another game, right? I don’t even really much know people there no more. They got a whole new damn near organization. Like I only know probably like five people on the team and I don’t even really be talking to them like that. I don’t even talk to like maybe two of them."

One look at the Jaguars roster right now will show Ramsey is right. Many of the players he shared the locker room — at least on the defensive side of the ball — no longer suit up for the Black and Teal. Back from that 2017 team, only linebacker Myles Jack remains in Jacksonville. Safety Jarrod Wilson was released before the start of the 2021 season, and both Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell were sent packing last year.

Jalen Ramsey’s matchup against the Jaguars is anti-climatic.

It’s hard to blame Ramsey for the approach his taking. Why should he feel nostalgic about a team that didn’t see him as a part of their long-term plans? You could argue that his attitude was not the best but neither was the Jags’.  Why would you trade one of your few stars for unproven assets?

Ramsey shouldn’t have gotten into an exchange with then-head coach Doug Marrone back in Week 2 of the 2019 season but they both smoothed things over later, sent him packing feels like overkill. The Jaguars did two first-round selections in exchange for him but haven’t gotten a solid return for either one.

So far, it looks like the Rams ended up with the better end of the deal. After all, the Tennessee native has been as productive in LA as he was during his Jacksonville years. Moreover, he arrived at a place in which he was wanted. Who do you know that would trade two first-round draft picks for you?

The Jaguars made a business decision when they traded Ramsey to the Rams, so the latter has the right to feel emotionally unattached to the team he once played. That’s why Week 13 is business as usual (at least for him), no more, no less.