The Steelers brought in Jalen Ramsey to carry out a diversity of roles, but with Joey Porter Jr. ailing, will they have to adapt? DC Teryl Austin doesn’t think so. With Porter dealing with hamstring tightness and not practicing, his status for Sunday is unclear. But that won’t prevent them from using Ramsey in the manner they intended, thanks to Brandin Echols.
Asked on Thursday about Porter’s injury and whether Echols could step in to allow them to continue to move Ramsey around, Austin said they “Absolutely” will retain their full capabilities in that regard, via the Steelers’ media department. “I know when we first got [Echols] in the offseason, we anticipated him playing a big role, and then falling into [Darius] Slay and Jalen later, it was kind of like, okay. But he’s still a really good player. I don’t feel hamstrung about anything now that he has to step up and get into a more advanced role”.
The Steelers suffered two in-game injuries on Sunday, which did alter how they used Jalen Ramsey. Not only did Porter exit with a tight hamstring, S DeShon Elliott is also ailing. While Elliott will miss Sunday’s game, Porter’s participation in practice today will be telling.
According to Alex Kozora’s charting, the Steelers used Ramsey roughly as we anticipated. Playing every snap, he spent most of his time in the slot. But he also worked outside and at safety, with one snap in the box.
Per my charting, Jalen Ramsey's snaps/alignment in Sunday's #Steelers debut.
– 35 slot
– 15 outside corner (all RCB)
– 13 safety
– 1 ILB (3-3-5 grouping vs 11 personnel)
Played every snap. And definitely made an impact.
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) September 9, 2025
in reality, the Steelers did not play Brandin Echols much despite the injuries. He did log 10 snaps, but the Jets playing a run-heavy game kept them out of as much nickel as they might have used otherwise. Ramsey’s usage will vary from game to game, based on both opponent and circumstance. But the Steelers believe, either way, that they have enough moving parts to maximize his role.
Austin’s comment regarding the Steelers’ initial plans for Echols are interesting. They did sign him at the start of free agency, though they also signed Slay on the same day. The final decision to sign Slay likely came later, perhaps because he had more options after the Eagles released him ahead of free agency. Obviously, the Steelers didn’t trade for Ramsey until much later in the offseason.
And he had the biggest impact, to nobody’s surprise, especially on the final drive. He broke up passes on two of the final three plays, including a physical hit on fourth down that dislodged the ball from Jets WR Garrett Wilson. Even the old heads took notice, with Richard Sherman calling it an iconic play on his podcast with Slay.
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