The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a unique spot. The organization is searching for its next head coach, something that has not been done since the 2007 offseason when the franchise hired Mike Tomlin. Tomlin decided to step down after the 2025 season, and now the franchise is focused on finding his replacement while preparing for the 2026 season. Many are focused on the coaching staff and how that group is going to be constructed. A head coach will be hired and fill out the staff with assistant coaches that he chooses, while he will also have to make some decisions with the roster.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan takes part in the NFL Draft at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
General Manager Omar Khan is a part of the search for the team's next head coach, and that is critical as he will be working with the next head coach closely when it comes to roster construction. Pittsburgh has a lot of decisions to make when it comes to key players that could be cut or traded, and a lot of that is going to come down to what the new head coach wants.
Team insider Ray Fittipaldo gave some predictions for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on what will happen with certain players during the 2026 offseason, and he believes Jalen Ramsey should be traded.
"He did not play well at corner early in the season and was moved to safety halfway through the season because that’s where he could help the team most," Fittipaldo wrote. "Ramsey played well at safety, but the Steelers must decide if it’s worth making a safety one of the team’s highest-paid players. They moved on from Minkah Fitzpatrick because his production declined over his final few seasons. Ramsey had just one interception last season. Decision: Trade him."
Ramsey was an exciting acquisition during the 2025 offseason as Pittsburgh completed a trade with the Miami Dolphins. The trade sent former safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami while Ramsey was brought to Pittsburgh to play cornerback. He wound up moving to safety due to his play and other injuries within the secondary, and he played fine, but he definitely left a lot to be desired.
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Steelers' Jalen Ramsey celebrates with Brandin Echols after forcing a turnover during the playoffs.
Ramsey's play during the 2025 season will have some sort of impact on this decision, as will his contract. Ramsey's cap hit is over $17 million in 2026 and it increases in each season after that. It is a rough contract to have on the books if he is not playing at an All-Pro level, which might make the franchise look to trade him.
Fittipaldo spoke more about his deal.
"Ramsey is yet another veteran defender with a high cap hit next season and beyond," Fittipaldo wrote. "He has a base salary of $10 million next season and a cap hit of more than $17 million. Tomlin coveted Ramsey because of his versatility as a corner and safety."
The safety has versatility on the defense, but that is not worth his cap hit. This is going to be a tough decision for the franchise, and trading his contract is not going to be easy as it should be seen as a financial burden.
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Steelers' Jalen Ramsey during his time with the Los Angeles Rams while playing the Packers.
Steelers' Jalen Ramsey Might Be Familiar With Pittsburgh's Coaching Hire
One of the top candidates for the head-coaching job in Pittsburgh is Los Angeles Rams Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula. Shula has been with the Rams since 2017, and he was the team's defensive backs coach during the 2022 season. Ramsey was with the team during that time, and the two spent four seasons together and won a Super Bowl. Shula might want to keep Ramsey around if he is hired, so there is a lot of moving parts to a critical decision like this. A restructure also seems like it could be possible for Ramsey.
What do you think Pittsburgh should do with Ramsey during the 2026 offseason? Let us know in the comments below!
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