Jalen Ramsey suffered hamstring injury on Sunday, and his status for the other side of the bye is unclear. He tried to return for the Steelers against the Vikings, coming in and out of the game and giving up a touchdown. One report suggests he could miss several weeks, but we have heard very little so far from the team.
The only comment I noticed about Ramsey from the Steelers since his injury came from Patrick Queen yesterday. “That’s a guy we need”, he said, via the Steelers’ website, which is, of course, stating the obvious. “The things that he can do on the field, line up in different spots, do different things, blitz, cover, whatever it may be. He can get in the run game.
“This is a guy that we definitely need, and this bye week is gonna be huge for that. However much time he needs, he’s gonna have to take, because we’re gonna need him down here late in the season”.
Ramsey ended up playing 55 snaps against the Vikings, about 72 percent, having previously played every Steelers defensive snap of the season up to that point. A do-everything defensive back, he plays nickel, cornerback, and safety depending on what is needed. Earlier in the game, he scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, but a review ruled that a Vikings player touched the ball out of bounds, blowing it dead.
The Steelers traded for Jalen Ramsey, the former All-Pro cornerback, ahead of training camp. A big acquisition, they gave up starting S Minkah Fitzpatrick for him as part of a larger trade. And they paid him top dollar as well, as one would expect, given his resume.
So far this season, Ramsey has 18 tackles, with one interception and four passes defensed. The stat line, though, doesn’t really paint the full picture of his impact on the defense. The simple fact of his versatility and opponents’ need to account for where he is is an unquantifiable asset.
For now, Jalen Ramsey has Schrödinger’s hamstring, for all intents and purposes. We don’t know how serious the injury is and how much time he might miss. What we do know is that the Steelers have options if they need to replace his snaps for a bit.
They should be getting two cornerbacks back. Joey Porter Jr., a starter, hasn’t played since the opener due to injury, but he was on the cusp of returning. On the other side of the bye, he should certainly be ready. There is also Cory Trice Jr., already designated to return, sitting on the Reserve/Injured list. He is now eligible to practice, so he can return at any time. In addition, the Steelers have Beanie Bishop Jr. on the practice squad, whom they could elevate for three games. Even if Ramsey is down for a bit, they can go a number of different directions.
