Jalen Ramseywants out of Jacksonville but won't trash teammates or the franchise to force the Jaguars' hands.
A day after news leaked that Ramsey requested a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars following brewing tensions with the organization, the talkative corner met with the media to get the questions out of the way.
Ramsey didn't deny he's seeking a trade and added he didn't want the request to be a distraction to teammates. He added he was preparing to play the Tennessee Titans "if I'm still part of" the team.
"I wanted to talk as soon as I could today just because I don't really want to be a distraction for my teammates getting ready for a game on Thursday," Ramsey said. "Right now, I'm still a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I'm happy about that, and I'm getting ready for the game as well and that's where my focus is right now. I've been in the meetings, I've been taking my notes. I've been getting ready for our walkthroughs and practices and everything we got to do out there."
The 24-year-old consistently couched comments about his future using phrasing like "for now" when discussing how he's approaching playing for the Jags.
"I have nothing bad or negative to say at all about anybody. [Expletive] happens," he said. "It is what it is. I think everybody pretty much knows what's up. So I don't really too much want to speak on it and give detail. I'm going to let God do his work and my agent [who is working with everybody] work it out. I'm going to focus on what I can focus on what I can focus on and right now that's being a good teammate still while I'm here, getting ready for the games, supporting my guy."
Ramsey said as far as he knows he'll be in the lineup. Defensive coordinator Todd Wash corroborated that thought process, saying he expects Ramsey to play.
The seemingly pending split between the Jags and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL came after a sideline tiff with coach Doug Marrone during Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Ramsey's issues with the organization stem from how he's being used on defense, with the cover-corner being used more in zone, rather than the heated sideline exchange.
In a circular press conference, Ramsey wouldn't directly answer questions about any frustrations with the team, coaches, or how he's used. The corner added that he hasn't spoken to Marrone regarding the sideline argument.
Ramsey wanted to make it clear that neither he nor his agent leaked the news that he requested the trade because he didn't want it to be a distraction to teammates.
"I didn't leak that information," Ramsey said emphatically. "Me and my agent, we are not the ones to leak that information. I was very strict about that because I did not want it to get out. I didn't want it to be a distraction and have everybody asking my teammates all the type of questions throughout the week. So let me be real clear about that -- I was not the one, me or my team, we were not the ones to leak that information because I thought about my teammates."
In the 15-plus-minute press conference, Ramsey dodged questions like a boxer, repeatedly parrying queries to say he'll play hard for his teammates as long as he's in Jacksonville.
"All I care about is winning, man. Everybody know that I want to [expletive] win," he said. "Straight up -- excuse my language but [expletive] everybody know that. That's who I am -- that passion, that fire, that heart that's what y'all love. I'm going to continue giving that as long as I'm here."
Where he'll be trying to win in the future remains to be seen.
