Patrick Graham Jalen Ramsey
Patrick Graham Jalen Ramsey
Will the DeShon Elliott injury force Jalen Ramsey to play safety?
The Steelers envisioned a versatile role for Jalen Ramsey when they traded for him. last year, it didn’t end up that way. That was due to injury, of course, but will this year start that way, as well? Pittsburgh put starting S DeShon Elliott on IR to begin the season, so that’s at least four games sidelined.
Elliott missed most of last season, and his absence played a central role in the Steelers moving Ramsey to safety on a full-time basis in 2025. This year, his stint on IR came as somewhat of a surprise, the team basically calling it an abundance of caution. But that’s a big risk for caution, sidelining your starting safety for nearly a quarter of the season.
Especially when your alternative options are…uh…well, less of a sure thing. In fact, it’s not entirely clear what exactly the Steelers plan to do at safety in Elliott’s absence. Jalen Ramsey is supposed to play primarily in the slot, but will he line up mostly at safety for the next month? They added veteran former starter Rayshawn Jenkins, so how much will he play? There is also rookie seventh-round pick Robert Spears-Jennings, on whom the coaching staff seems to be high and who played a lot of snaps with the first-team defense this offseason as Elliott was sidelined recovering from last year’s injury.
There are other things the Steelers can do, such as playing with only one true safety. Whether it’s using four cornerbacks or three outside linebackers, there are a variety of looks they can present. And they have the next four weeks to work it all out, but hopefully not much longer. The hope is that, with Ramsey and his versatility, they can lean into an unpredictability factor.
Of course, there’s the Joey Porter Jr. situation, which could further complicate things. If Porter doesn’t play, or is even on a pitch count, that could limit what the Steelers can do. They have more resources to replace a cornerback, though, than they do a safety. Or at least it may seem that way on paper. Certainly, Asante Samuel Jr. has a better resume for a 2026 spot-starting role than Jenkins or Spears-Jennings. I don’t think they would want Ramsey playing outside cornerback much, though.
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin resigning.
We’re already into the regular season. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.