The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t strangers to dealing with divas. They have a long list of wide receivers that have given them massive headaches. However, a recent report indicates that they may be adding another problematic player in Jalen Ramsey. Reportedly, Ramsey was constantly late to practice during his tenure with the Miami Dolphins. That might be a giant red flag to Steelers fans. However, former Steelers offensive lineman Ryan Harris has a different opinion of Ramsey.
“You put Jalen Ramsey in the room, who, people forget, he is a leader with a capital L,” Harris said recently on the Reiter Than You podcast. “That’s gonna change that defense tremendously. What that means is that changes how they listen in meetings.
“That changes how they hold each other accountable, as Jalen Ramsey has won a Super Bowl and understands how you have to be accountable to win. It’s taking a lot of pressure off the coaches.”
In his nine-year career, Ramsey has been named a team captain three times, once with the Dolphins and twice with the Los Angeles Rams. That helps support Harris’ belief. However, he might not need to take that role with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh isn’t lacking in leaders on defense. They have T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Patrick Queen, and DeShon Elliott. None of those players were afraid to voice their opinions last year. Also, they added Darius Slay, a Super Bowl-champion corner who is even more experienced than Ramsey.
Elandon Roberts has talked about how, after he joined the Steelers, it was initially tough for him to find his place as a leader. That was because the Steelers had a veteran defense, and that hasn’t changed.
Also, Ramsey might not be the leader that Harris thinks he is. It’s unclear how aware he was of the report about Ramsey’s behavior in Miami. However, it doesn’t paint the picture of a great leader. Ramsey has been on three teams, and all of them have eventually traded him. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s a locker room issue, but it doesn’t help his case, either.
Mike Tomlin is no stranger to big personalities, though. He’s gotten solid production out of Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and Diontae Johnson. Perhaps he can work his magic with Ramsey, too. He’s been one of the best corners in the league for years, and he could seriously shore up the back end of the Steelers’ defense, as long as he’s on his best behavior.
