How Did the Dolphins' Past Stars Perform with their New Teams in 2025?

The Miami Dolphins lost a lot of big-name players last year, but did they really miss them?

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker (81) scores a touchdown against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins suffered through a disappointing 2025 season that featured another slow start, another brief turnaround, but more pain at the end.

In a way it was very similar to what happened in 2024, though it came after the Dolphins said goodbye in the offseason, over the summer to several big-name players.

And maybe we can wonder whether the Dolphins would have performed better had they hung on to those big-name players, like Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, Calais Campbell, Jevon Holland and Jaelan Phillips.

But how much of a difference could those players have made?

That's an answer that never will come, so what we can do at this time is simply look at each how of those players performed with their new team in 2025.

As it turned out, it was pretty much as expected.

Campbell continued to play like somebody much younger than his actual age; Ramsey flashed but probably deliver as much as his salary suggests he should; Smith's production took a massive dip after not being a focal point of the passing game as he was with the Dolphins; Holland was solid but unspectacular, and Phillips played much better than his stats actually would suggest.

To get the full picture, we reached out to the publishers and writers of sister On Nation sites for their assessment.

CB JALEN RAMSEY, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

From Steelers On SI Publisher Noah Strackbein: "The Steelers certainly thought they won the Jalen Ramsey-Minkah Fitzpatrick trade when it happened, but by the end of the season, that may not have been the case. Ramsey fell off pretty significantly by the end of the year, moving from cornerback to safety to help aid with injuries, and never truly becoming a difference-maker at the position. 

"There were times when he was out of place, struggled to keep players in front of him, and even going down to the final defensive play of the regular season, he was the one who let Isaiah Likely make the catch to put Baltimore in field goal range. Overall, it wasn't great. Truthfully, it was borderline bad enough that the Steelers should consider moving on this offseason and trying to ditch his contract before they take on a $17 million cap hit next season."

TE JONNU SMITH, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

"Yikes," Strackbein wrote. "That's the easiest way to sum up Jonnu Smith's run in Pittsburgh. The addition of the former Miami tight end may have been the worst thing the Steelers could have had happen to them. Not only did Smith do almost nothing in terms of contribution, but he took snaps away from Pat Freiermuth, who was clearly their best tight end. 

"The Smith experiment in Pittsburgh was their biggest failure of 2026. Maybe that was because Arthur Smith was hooked on trying to make him work or that Mike Tomlin truly thought he was better than Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, but it was clear as day that he wasn't. Aaron Rodgers was calling him out for not knowing plays multiple times throughout the season, and everything ended with him averaging the least yards per catch in the NFL. He may be the first name to go this offseason after how bad things got."

S JEVON HOLLAND, NEW YORK GIANTS

This comes from Giants On SI Publisher Patricia Traina: "One of the team’s big-ticket offseason signings, Jevon Holland stepped right into a starting role and played in 14 games, missing three games due to neck and knee issues. He played a lot of deep safety, which kept his season numbers down. Holland posted 59 tackles (30 in coverage), five pass breakups, one interception, and a 96-yard pick-6 that was taken away by an offsides penalty.  

"The opposition avoided Holland because the other safeties were much easier to exploit in coverage. Still, Holland was a versatile performer who played some man but mostly zone coverage, and tackled reasonably well, all season. He was more athletic and disciplined than his peers, oftentimes covering up for missed assignments.  With three years left on his contract, Holland is a solid safety who should be in Giants blue for the duration."  

 DT CALAIS CAMPBELL, ARIZONA CARDINALS

From Cardinals On SI Publisher Donnie Druin: "Many thought Calais Campbell’s reunion in the desert was simply a farewell tour, though it turned out to be much more than that. Campbell, despite being the elder statesman on the team, actually had one of the bigger on-field impacts for Arizona. Despite playing less than 50% of snaps, he started in all 17 games at 39 years old to compile 43 tackles (9 TFL), 6.5 sacks, two passes swatted and a handful of blocked kicks — even making an splash on special teams. Campbell was as impactful off the field as he was between the lines, too. His leadership helped save any ounce of respect and dignity from the Cardinals’ tumultuous season while helping two former first-round picks in Darius Robinson and Walter Nolen III enrich their development as well. If it’s the end of his story is to be determined, but Campbell’s signing checked every box imaginable."

LB JAELAN PHILLIPS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

From Eagles On SI lead writer Ed Kracz: The Eagles pass rush was scuffling before they traded for Jaelan Phillips in early November, ranking 25th in the NFL with just 16 through their first eight games. In the eight games after that – Phillips and the starters did not play in the regular-season finale – the Eagles had 25 sacks. Phillips only had two of those, but there’s no statistic for what he did for the rest of the defensive line. He helped open lanes to the quarterback for Jalyx Hunt, who had 6.5 sacks, and Moro Ojomo, who had six sacks.

“Anytime you add a good player to your team on the field, it's going to help everybody,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about Phillips' presence. “If your pass rush takes an uptick, that helps everybody. …it's a domino effect. I don't think it helps just one position. It helps everybody.”

"Phillips had 41 QB pressures in eight regular season games, tying him for fourth-most in the NFL during that span with sack-leader Myles Garrett. Phillips added 32 hurries and seven QB hits, and his presence opened opportunities for the rest of the defensive line to get to the quarterback. He will be a free agent but is hoping to stay with the Eagles, and there is mutual interest from the Eagles in bringing him back."