The Pittsburgh Steelers hyped former All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey for his versatility after acquiring him over the summer. Now, the Steelers are putting that versatility to the test.
After splitting his time between outside and slot cornerback to begin the season, the team has begun deploying Ramsey primarily at safety. In Week 9, he lined up at safety for 70 of his 77 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The Steelers plan to use Ramsey at safety again against the Los Angeles Chargers during Week 10.
### Ramsey Embracing the Move to Safety
The seven-time Pro Bowler addressed his position change in front of reporters on Friday. He will start at safety again in Week 10 with veteran starting safety DeShon Elliott on injured reserve. Elliott is expected to be out for at least two more games and could miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
A three-time first-team All-Pro defensive back, Ramsey has played all over the secondary during his career. However, he has never primarily lined up as a safety before. Last Sunday marked the first time in his NFL career that Ramsey played almost exclusively at safety.
“It’s definitely new, for sure,” Ramsey told reporters. “Before last week, I think the last time I played safety for a full game was like my freshman year in college, so however many years ago that was — thirteen or something like that. It’s been a while. It’s definitely not like riding a bike. Tough, but fun. I mean, I love football, so all pieces of it, I enjoy and try to embrace.”
### Stepping Up Amid Injuries
With three safeties sidelined in Week 9, the Steelers needed Ramsey at safety. The team started veteran Kyle Dugger alongside Ramsey at the other safety spot. Dugger had just joined the Steelers a few days prior to the start of the week and played all but one defensive snap.
This patchwork safety tandem proved effective, as the Steelers held the league’s No. 1 scoring offense to just 20 points while forcing six turnovers.
### Following in Rod Woodson’s Footsteps?
Currently, Ramsey is playing safety out of necessity. However, the position change could also work to extend the 31-year-old’s career — much like it did for former Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson.
After five All-Pro seasons at cornerback, Woodson transitioned to safety with the Baltimore Ravens. In 2000, during his second year as a starting safety, Woodson made second-team All-Pro. He later earned a first-team All-Pro nomination at safety in 2002 at the age of 37 and led the NFL with eight interceptions that season.
“That would probably be a nice blueprint,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said of Ramsey following Woodson’s path to safety. “I was aware of it and saw how well it could go. Obviously, because, you know, Rod — Hall of Fame, great player, great dude. So, I’m sure he was aware of that. I was aware of that as well.”
Ramsey turned 31 years old in October. While that age is considered old for a cornerback, the transition to safety could allow him to continue playing at a high level for several more years.
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