Ja’Marr Chase has only played Jalen Ramsey once, as a rookie in the Super Bowl, but seems ready for more. With the Pittsburgh Steelers trading for the All-Pro DB, the Cincinnati Bengals standout will see plenty of him. After news of the trade, Chase seemed to allude to, and welcome, the change via social media.
“Every week it gets better and better”, Chase Tweeted at 12:08 PM, a little over an hour after news of the Ramsey trade hit social media. Of course, it’s possible that he was talking about something entirely different. Perhaps he made a really good kombucha batch that he strengthens and adds to on a weekly basis. Or maybe he really likes The Gilded Age on HBO, starring Carrie Coon.
But chances are, a football player posting an hour after something big happens that affects the football games in which he plays is talking about the football thing, right? And it would make sense for Ja’Marr Chase, coming off a stunning season, to welcome the challenge of Jalen Ramsey.
Chase had a history of wanting to measure himself up against the best, and Ramsey has been that. Although he is growing long in the tooth for a full-time boundary cornerback, Ramsey has still played at a high level. He might have a versatile role this year, but I’m sure he will see the Bengals star on occasion. After all, when playing Cincinnati, you also have to worry about Tee Higgins.
That is a fact of which the Steelers are acutely aware, surely recalling the situation they were in last year. with Donte Jackson banged up, Cory Trice Jr. found himself in a teachable moment against the Triple Crown winner. Perhaps watching Ja’Marr Chase work over Trice played a role in bringing Ramsey here.
A former top-five pick, Jalen Ramsey is going into his 10th NFL season. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, most recently in 2020 for the latter. Over the past two years with the Dolphins, he has five interceptions and 16 passes defensed in 27 games. He played all 17 games a year ago, and played better overall, minus some tackling issues.
Ja’Marr Chase is coming off a Triple Crown season, meaning he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He caught 127 passes for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, all career-high marks. Neither those reception or yardage totals would have led the league in 2021-23, however.
The AFC North is not without its quality cornerbacks, the best among them being Denzel Ward in Cleveland. Thanks to the Bengals in particular, however, there is now an arms race in the secondary. To compete with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Steelers have added Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey this offseason. Whether or not it pays off, at least they can claim that they tried.
