Jalen

Ramsey

He did not practice on Thursday or Friday after apparently receiving the illness for Christmas. Generally players with a questionable status with illnesses play, though it’s possible the Steelers exercise caution if the Ravens lose on Saturday and clinch a playoff spot for Pittsburgh.

Ramsey had been jawing with Ja’Marr Chase throughout the day, but things finally escalated in the fourth quarter on back-to-back plays. The two had previously been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and on the following play, Ramsey could be seen getting in the face of Chase before grabbing his helmet and throwing a punch. We’re less than a week removed from Commanders DT DaRon Bland being suspended for throwing a punch on Amon-Ra St. Brown, and it wouldn’t be surprising if a one-game suspension was handed down to Ramsey in the coming days.

Despite being a DNP on Wednesday and Thursday, Ramsey was able to log a full practice on Friday, hinting that the veteran corner would likely be active for this week. Ramsey was not listed on the team’s Week 6 inactives and is officially good to go against a Browns offense that will feature rookie Dillon Gabriel in his second career start.

He got in a full session after a pair of DNPs and talked shop with the media, two signs that strongly point to him being available for Week 6. Pittsburgh also has a game next Thursday night so it was likely that Ramsey would miss that game as well if he wasn’t up for Sunday. It seems like the star defensive back will be ready to go on Sunday.

Ramsey is looking like a long shot to play in Week 6 against the Browns. He sat out Wednesday’s practice as well. The Steelers’ defense was thought to be a team strength entering the season, but myriad injuries and age are beginning to take their toll. If Ramsey can practice tomorrow, he will have a chance to play, though that seems unlikely at this point.

Porter is firmly on track to return following the Steelers’ Week 5 bye. Steelers LB Alex Highsmith’s limited participation is a positive, but one would have preferred to see him practice in full after rehabbing his injured ankle for three-plus weeks. Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey (hamstring) was sidelined today.

He walked off the field on his own, though he was surrounded by trainers, and went directly to the blue medical tent. Elliott had five solo tackles before leaving. Jalen Ramsey has been playing more safety with Elliott sidelined.

Per NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk, “players like Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Jalen Ramsey, and Cam Heyward,” among others, will not play this weekend. The Steelers will instead use joint practices with the Buccaneers to get the starters valuable reps. Tomlin adds that Ramsey will get all of the reps against Mike Evans today.

Heyward discussed the Steelers’ defense and swapping Minkah Fitzpatrick out for Ramsey. Though losing a playmaking defensive back in Fitzpatrick hurts, Heyward is confident in Ramsey’s versatility. He said, “Jalen is a ball-hawking DB that can play corner. He can play slot. He can play safety.” It is still unclear where on the field Ramsey will start, but Heyward believes Ramsey can offer value at any spot on the field. The versatility may come in handy for a secondary turning over from an important piece in Fitzpatrick.

The Dolphins trading Ramsey was always a matter of when, not if. Now, the 30-year-old corner has a new home in Pittsburgh, where he will join veteran corner Darius Slay and the recently signed Aaron Rodgers. It was reported last week by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that the relationship between Ramsey and the Dolphins was “past the point of no return,” which now stands to benefit the Steelers, whose pass defense ranked 22nd in PFF coverage grading (58.0) and ranked 25th in passing yards allowed per game. Ramsey appeared in all 17 games for the Dolphins last season and earned a PFF coverage grade of 71.9 while forcing two interceptions and breaking up 11 passes. While he may have lost a bit of a step as he enters his 10th season, Ramsey remains a solid presence on the outside and should pair nicely with Joey Porter Jr.