The Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary had all the hype coming into this season. but the group has had to make some changes in recent weeks. And for the most part, those changes have not been a bad thing. One of the biggest adjustments is Jalen Ramsey playing safety, instead of floating around the secondary like he did over the first portion of the season.
“It’s a growing process, growing journey back there for me,” Ramsey said Friday via Steelers.com. “And just us working together as well. I think it’s getting better and better each week. But it’s a process.”
For most of the beginning of the season, Ramsey played all over the place. He saw plenty of reps at nickel and then spent some time on the outside as well. However, there were a couple of losses, both on the field and in terms of health, that made the Steelers change some things up. For one, Ramsey, and the rest of the cornerbacks just weren’t playing as well as the Steelers had hoped. The Steelers were burned to a crisp by Cincinnati and then struggled the following week against Green Bay.
With some injuries at safety, and Brandin Echols’ ability to play the slot, Jalen Ramsey moved back there. And for the most part things have worked well. The new safety tandem of Ramsey and Kyle Dugger helped stifle Indianapolis. They did well against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, but in-game injuries did cause Ramsey to still move around a little. He still had a good game, though, with a 75.3 Pro Football Focus grade that registered among the best on the team.
“I’m continuing to embrace this journey of playing safety a little bit more, learn the nuances of it, learn the opportunities where I could still be me, and make plays and try to add my own flavor to things,” Ramsey said. “I do see things sometimes from a different perspective than guys who have only played safety. I do see things sometimes still from a corner’s perspective or a slot’s perspective. At times it can be a good thing, it may not be a good thing some[times]. I’m just embracing every part of this journey.”
Ramsey certainly does seem to be getting more comfortable at the position. He’s becoming increasingly better at reading things over the middle of the field. His hit on Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. in Week 9 is a good example. He was penalized, and ultimately fined for it, but Ramsey shows great anticipation here.
This is the hit on Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. by Jalen Ramsey that he was fined $17,389 for. Deemed Unnecessary Roughness (Hit on a defenseless player). I'd imagine he is appealing this. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/d45qhmMcpj
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) November 8, 2025
The entire secondary is looking to rebound after a horrible outing the last time it played Cincinnati. But this time around, the Steelers will have a much different look. Darius Slay is out after suffering a concussion last Sunday night, which means more reps for James Pierre. And the Bengals haven’t seen Dugger yet, or Ramsey at safety full time.
Overall, the secondary has looked better in recent weeks. The Steelers’ new safety tandem has been a big part of that effort, thanks in large part to Jalen Ramsey.
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