When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for CB Jalen Ramsey, they saw him as a versatile chess piece who could fit anywhere in the secondary. And through two weeks, the Steelers have used him in multiple spots, including free safety.
The Steelers undoubtedly love having a player who can line up in multiple spots and be an impact player. It gives coaches flexibility. But how hard has that been on Ramsey?
“It’s definitely a challenge to play every position in the secondary, but it’s a challenge I embrace,” Ramsey said Friday, per video from the Steelers’ website. “It’s a challenge that I like. I’ll continue embracing it and I’ll continue doing it.”
Ramsey hauled in his first interception with Pittsburgh in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. He’s also the man who delivered the thumping hit on fourth down to New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson that sealed the Steelers’ Week 1 win.
WATCH: NFL Films on the big hit by Jalen Ramsey against the Jets 👀 #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/rmLJX3Vmsc
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 9, 2025
But the Steelers’ defense has unexpectedly struggled. This was a unit people believed could be the best in the league. Instead, they’re giving up 31.5 points per game, fourth-worst in the league. They’ve given up 450 yards passing and 299 yards rushing.
And Ramsey isn’t immune from the issues plaguing the defense, either. In back-to-back weeks, the Steelers gave up touchdowns to identical looks from the Jets and the Seattle Seahawks. Ramsey was the player in coverage for the touchdown in Week 2. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was still mad enough Thursday for a colorful tirade on the miscues.
Fool me once, something something something. Fool me twice, something something something. Yankee twice out of nearly same formation and going same direction as well. In Weeks 1 & 2 at that. Not like five games in-between. Both go for TDs.😬 #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/RWlSbphw6I
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 16, 2025
The players and coaches have talked about communication being part of the issue with the defensive struggles. And Jalen Ramsey even admits that moving around in the secondary has an impact on communication.
“We have to be super focused and detailed and knowing when different people are in at different positions, because the communication can be different,” Ramsey said. “The way I speak to the guys when I’m at safety could be different than the way somebody else sees things and communicates. So, it’s just another part of it. Working together, just continuing, getting more reps at it, more intentional reps.”
It’s a fundamental fact of life, not just football. Two different people in the same spot witnessing the same events will see two different things. And we all have different ways of communicating. So, it makes sense that Jalen Ramsey might see things differently at the free safety position than someone else, like Juan Thornhill.
Would more stability in the secondary help with the communication issues? There’s no doubt the Steelers have had to juggle things around even more than they want to. S DeShon Elliott and CB Joey Porter Jr. went down with injuries in Week 1 and will miss Week 3’s game against the New England Patriots. That’s going to lead to instability, regardless of who else is on the field.
But when everyone is healthy, would finding a good spot for Jalen Ramsey to stay be good, too? That’s what former NFL GM (and Steelers front office executive) Doug Whaley thinks. Will it happen? Probably not.
The Steelers want to have the cornerback trio of Ramsey, Porter and Darius Slay all on the field at the same time as much as possible. Obviously, Porter being out injured is preventing that. But when all three are healthy, Ramsey will bounce around the backfield from free safety to nickel.
Jalen Ramsey is relishing the opportunity and the challenge to play a lot of different spots in the secondary. But is it causing more issues than it solves? Or do the Steelers simply need to keep plugging away in practice to iron out the rough spots? Only time will tell.
