Steelers’ Jalen Ramsey Speaks out on Position Change to Safety
The Pittsburgh Steelers hyped former All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey for his versatility after they acquired him over the summer. The Steelers are now 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. That’s where he lined up for 70 of his 77 defensive snaps in Week 9 according to Pro Football Focus.
The Steelers will again use Ramsey at safety against the Los Angeles Chargers during Week 10. The seven-time Pro Bowler addressed his position change in front of reporters Friday.
“I guess you could say maybe it brings like a renewed energy for me, just because playing corner for 10 years, you kind of learn the game, and it kind of becomes same old, same old, same old every day,” Ramsey told reporters, via TribLive.com’s Chris Adamski. “Not to say I wasn’t learning, trying to continue to grow it in that role.
“But at safety, now I’m just in the meetings and things like that, I’m learning kind of new things … different ways to look at the game from the safety’s point of view.
Ramsey will start at safety again in Week 10 with veteran starting safety DeShon Elliott on injured reserve. Elliott will be out at least two more games but could miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
Steelers’ Jalen Ramsey Embracing Move to Safety
A three-time All-Pro defensive back, Ramsey has played all over the secondary during his career. But he has never previously lined up primarily as a safety.
Last Sunday was the first time in his NFL career that Ramsey basically only played 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.
“So, 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.”
With three safeties sidelined in Week 9, the Steelers needed Ramsey at safety. The team started veteran Kyle Dugger next to Ramsey at the other safety spot. Dugger had just joined the Steelers a few days prior to the start, and he played all but one defensive snap.
The band-aid safety tandem worked, as the Steelers held the No. 1 scoring offense to just 20 points while forcing six turnovers.
Ramsey Following in Rod Woodson’s Footsteps?
Ramsey is currently playing safety out of need. However, the position change could work to extend the 31-year-old’s career.
That’s what happened for former Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson. After five All-Pro seasons at cornerback, Woodson transitioned to safety with the Baltimore Ravens.
In 2000, Woodson made second-team All-Pro during his second year as a starting safety. He also earned a first-team All-Pro nomination at safety in 2002 at 37 years old.
Woodson led the NFL with eight interceptions during 2002.
“That would probably be a nice blueprint,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said of Ramsey following Woodson’s path to safety, via Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi. “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’s considered old for a cornerback, Ramsey could continue playing at a high level for several more years if he successfully transitions to safety.
Cowboys’ $64 Million Star Could Be Cap Casualty After Latest Moves
It was an eventful trade deadline for the Dallas Cowboys, who added two difference-makers on defense: All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets, along with former Bengals starting linebacker Logan Wilson.
Williams, who has been named to the Pro Bowl each of his last three seasons, is expected to change the defensive front for Dallas upon arrival.
But what might that mean for veteran DT Kenny Clark? Could he ultimately get cut in 2026? “Popular opinion has pointed to Kenny Clark as the player most likely to lose long-term,” Reid D. Hanson of Cowboys Wire wrote on November 5, after the addition of Williams, adding:
“Clark’s contract has an escape hatch after the season and would offer a smooth financial transition for the Cowboys. But Clark’s exodus should by no means be seen as a forgone conclusion. His cap hits over the next two seasons are a manageable $21.5 million and $20 million, respectively. If he can elevate his play alongside the rest of the defense, there’s no reason for the Cowboys to cut bait after the season.”
More on Why Addition of Quinnen Williams Could Result in the Dallas Cowboys Cutting DT Kenny Clark
GettyKenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa of the Dallas Cowboys. Will Clark be cut in 2026 after the Quinnen Williams addition?
Clark arrived in Dallas as part of the Micah Parsons deal.
A former first-round pick who had 380 tackles, 34 sacks, 47 tackles for loss and seven forced fumbles over eight seasons in Green Bay, the veteran DT inked an extension with the Packers in 2024 for three years and $64 million. The Cowboys inherited that money when he was moved.
Clark’s deal has a $7.5 million roster bonus due early in the 2025 league year and an even bigger $11 million roster bonus in 2026.
“Long-term it could be bad for Clark, if the veteran can’t bounce back this season and play up to his usual standard,” Hanson also noted.
Thus, the remainder of 2025 will be huge for the former Packer.
More on the Cowboys’ Current DTs Room
Considering Dallas just traded significant draft capital to get a younger, more explosive interior disruptor in Williams and they already extended Osa Odighizuwa earlier in the season, Clark becomes an expensive No. 3 at a position where teams usually want cost-controlled depth.
Financially, moving on would make loads of sense. Because the extension was heavy on roster bonuses rather than new guarantees, releasing Clark next year would prevent big chunks of cash from hitting Dallas’ 2026 books. Over the Cap’s outline of his contract shows the Cowboys can avoid the $11 million 2026 trigger altogether if Clark isn’t on the roster on the third day of the league year.
Performance is part of it, too. Clark is a solid vet, but he’s nowhere near the kind of week-to-week game-wrecker Williams has been. If your interior has Williams’ get-off plus Odighizuwa’s familiarity with the scheme, paying Clark starter money for rotational work is probably not going to happen.
The NFL is, above all, a business, and few see that more clearly than Jerry Jones. Even a well-respected veteran like Clark can become a cap casualty — not because he’s cooked, but because he was simply replaced by someone better.
