The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into an offseason full of upheaval. From the coaching staff to the roster, no one’s job feels secure, and major changes are coming.
Among the players facing the most uncertainty is veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey, whose disappointing first season in Pittsburgh has put his future with the team in serious jeopardy.
Acquired last summer in the blockbuster trade that sent Minkah Fitzpatrick the other way, Ramsey was expected to be the elite, versatile playmaker the Steelers’ secondary desperately needed. Paired with rising star Joey Porter Jr. and veteran free-agent addition Darius Slay, the group looked dominant on paper.
Reality was far different.
Porter thrived, but Ramsey struggled badly against quicker receivers. Slay’s play was so poor that he was released midseason. The one glimmer of hope came when the Steelers moved Ramsey to safety, where his reduced speed was less exposed and he initially looked solid.
That early promise faded quickly. Down the stretch, Ramsey’s performance at safety dropped off sharply, settling into average-to-slightly-above-average territory—hardly the impact expected from a player carrying a nearly $20 million cap hit in 2025.
That cap number makes Ramsey one of the highest-paid safeties in the league, and the Steelers can save the entire amount by moving on before his roster bonus kicks in. With a new coaching staff incoming and a desire to get younger and more cost-effective in the secondary, cutting or trading him is now a very real conversation.
Trading Ramsey feels unlikely—his diminished play and massive contract would scare off most suitors. Keeping him and hoping for a late-career resurgence at age 31 also seems optimistic.
Safety is no longer a premium position in today’s NFL. The market is flooded with capable players, and even the best safeties rarely move the needle the way elite cornerbacks or pass rushers do.
Had Ramsey dominated in 2024, none of this would be in question. Instead, his visible decline over the final weeks of the season effectively played him out of town. The new regime now faces one of its toughest decisions: swallow the expensive mistake and keep him, or cut ties and move forward without him.
It won’t be an easy call, but Ramsey’s play down the stretch has made it a necessary one.