Jalen Ramsey got his first taste of game action with the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday evening against the Carolina Panthers, playing one series in Pittsburgh’s 19-10 win.
Ramsey made tackles on three consecutive plays in his Steelers debut but was also flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty when he slammed Panthers running back Trevor Etienne to the ground after a play -- one of 13 penalties the Steelers were whistled for Thursday night.
Afterwards, Ramsey said that Thursday was about getting ready for the opener in a couple of weeks, not about playing perfect football in the preseason.
“I’m more looking forward to the regular season,” Jalen Ramsey said. “The preseason is just, you know, get out there and knock the kinks off, see if our communication is on point. But yeah, I’m looking forward to the regular season.”
Ramsey is a seven-time Pro Bowler who has been named a first-team All-Pro three times. He also won a Super Bowl while playing for the Rams.
The former Florida State standout is the biggest star in a Steelers secondary that is loaded with talent.
Fellow defensive backs Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. also played one series on Thursday as the Panthers went 52 yards on eight plays to take an early 3-0 lead.
Ramsey enjoyed going out, having fun and getting his first action in a Steelers uniform. Now he and the rest of the Steelers defense are focusing on cleaning up mistakes.
“Yeah, I mean, that’s what it was about, but we of course are going to have things to clean up,” he said. “So we’ll watch the film and we’ll see what we’ve gotta clean up and get ready for the regular season.”
Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay were brought in this offseason as veterans that the Steelers expect to be a couple of the best defensive backs in football during the 2025 season.
The rest of Pittsburgh’s secondary includes proven starter Joey Porter Jr., returning starter DeShon Elliott and former Browns starter Juan Thornhill.
How good can this group be?
“We’re just going to keep working and we’ll put it out there on Sundays,” Ramsey said.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.