Steelers Seeing Growing Signs Of Worry With Jalen Ramsey As Secondary Is On Life Support

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a lot of positives come from training camp and from the team's first preseason matchup with the Green Bay Packers. The positives have been great to acknowledge and talk about, but there have also been some concerning signs throughout the process so far that need to be addressed. The first is the penalties that have been reported to be happening throughout training camp, and they were then an obvious issue during the game against Green Bay. The other problem is the health. First-round pick Max Iheanachor has missed a little over a week of practice, and the defensive backfield is completely decimated for Pittsburgh.

Both Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. began camp on the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list. This came as a surprise for both players, although there was some chatter about Ramsey tweaking something towards the end of the spring. That is exactly why his injury is so concerning. No one has been able to provide an update or any details on the matter, and it has now been months since it occurred. 

Head Coach Mike McCarthy has not provided any clarity on his injury, and he has been pretty dismissive of most players that have been banged up. He has not provided a ton of information on any player injuries, which has been frustrating for fans and members of the media. Beat writer Mark Kaboly joined 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning, and he spoke about the various injuries and his concern for Ramsey.

"You know, I thought Mike Tomlin was tough on injuries in terms of letting us know. He ain't nothing compared to Mike McCarthy," Kaboly said. "And we have very limited access to the players. Yeah, I mean, we're just letting it slide under the radar here, but what about Jalen Ramsey? We haven't heard a peep about him in three weeks. What about that bad back of Joey Porter Jr.? The Ramsey thing, the more he stays out, the more worried I get. It's been a couple-month injury now. I don't see any indications that he's going to be on the field anytime soon."

Kaboly spoke about how the media has been given little to no clarity on some of these injuries that have taken place before and during training camp. Ramsey and Porter have been working off to the side as they both try to return from injury, but neither player has been given a timeline to return.

Ramsey and Porter have not practiced at all throughout training camp. It is unclear what Ramsey's injury is, while Porter is said to be some sort of back strain. He is also waiting for a contract extension, so the two things could be related. Other injuries in the secondary include Brandin Echols and Jaquan Brisker, while DeShon Elliott is still working his way back from a rough knee and hamstring injury that he suffered during the 2025 season.

Steelers Likely Nearing The End Of Their Time With Jalen Ramsey

It seems like Ramsey will certainly be on the roster for the 2026 season, barring a surprising trade. However, the Steelers are trying to get younger on defense and that is evident from the extensions that have already been given out, also assuming Porter gets his deal sometime in the near future. 

Ramsey is under contract through the 2028 season in Pittsburgh, and after the 2026 season, he has about $50 million left on his deal over two seasons and then roughly $12 million in voids that are going to be paid out over the three seasons following the expiration of the contract. Cutting Ramsey or finding a trade partner would free up a ton of flexibility for Pittsburgh, and that is likely what will happen.

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