Steelers' Mike Tomlin Defends Decision To Have Jalen Ramsey Play Safety

The Pittsburgh Steelers have completed a trade that has left some fans confused. While Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith are seen as upgrades, the deal still cost the team Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was a leader in the locker room. With him out of the picture, there is a gaping hole at the position, as there is no depth there at all. Ramsey will be expected to play safety quite a bit to help fill that need, but he has almost exclusively played cornerback throughout his career, so there are some valid concerns about how he can fill Fitzpatrick's shoes. 

While speaking with Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Head Coach Mike Tomlin explained his decision to have the former superstar cornerback get plenty of reps in the back end of the secondary. 

"He’s long, he’s fast, he’s combative,” Tomlin said via Batko. “His above-the-neck game and feel for the passing game is excellent. He’s physical. People often forget that this guy was probably the best safety prospect in the draft, as well, when he came out, and that just speaks to his talent level and how immense it is."

Ramsey did play safety during his youth, but when he first got drafted to the Jacksonville Jaguars, any expectation of playing in that role went out the window. He spent many years playing at an elite level on the outside, locking up the best receivers in the league and doing everything he can to get under their skin. Now, at age 30 going on 31, he may have to tap into his old form from high school and some of college to extend his career. 

During the 2025 offseason, the Steelers loaded up on cornerback by signing Darius Slay and Brandin Echols to go along with a young core featuring Joey Porter Jr. and Beanie Bishop Jr. Adding Ramsey seemed like it was clogging up the position group even more, but the team instead wanted him to fill some Fitzpatrick-sized shoes while playing in every single position in the secondary.

Steelers Have Had Success With Players Like Ramsey Before

In recent years, the Steelers have gotten solid results from taking aging cornerbacks and turning them into slot/safety-type role-players. Patrick Peterson started the 2023 season on the outside, and he had lots of struggles. They moved him into the role that they expect Ramsey to be in, and he performed much better during his lone season in Pittsburgh.

That same year, the Steelers signed Eric Rowe to deal with all the injuries from the safety group. Nobody wanted to play him on the outside anymore, so he was happy to try out this new position, and he became a piece that the team desperately needed to help solidify the defense as it pushed for a playoff spot. Nobody had Rowe and Peterson playing as teammates as the last line of defense on their bingo cards, but it worked. 

Ramsey needs to perform well in this new role to keep his job. After 2025, there is no guaranteed money left for him, which makes him an early cap casualty. The Miami Dolphins are eating his signing bonus prorations, which means he could be cut with absolutely no dead cap starting in 2026. Roster bonuses are still in play, but that would just influence Pittsburgh to let him go sooner.

Clearly, Tomlin has a lot of faith that Ramsey can go back to being that highly rated safety he was about a decade ago, especially since it cost him a younger, quality player in Fitzpatrick. If he can't, then Pittsburgh will be spending the 2026 offseason looking for a new lockdown centerfielder to keep a lid on opposing offenses. The only to find out if Tomlin is right or wrong is to sit back and enjoy the show for the 2025 season.

What do you think about Tomlin defending his decision to have Ramsey switch positions? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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