Steelers Have A Clear Cut To Make On Defense After Poor Performance In 2025: "He Didn't Pan Out"

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a relatively disappointing season on defense in 2025 as the group felt inconsistent as the year went on. The unit had some games where they looked spectacular, while during other contests, the group was completely helpless against certain offensive attacks. This comes after Pittsburgh had the highest-paid defense in the league during the 2025 season, which included some offseason additions that fans thought might make a huge difference. The end result was the same as the Steelers suffered an embarrassing loss in the first round of the playoffs yet again, and now the franchise has more questions than answers heading into the 2026 offseason.

One offseason addition on the defensive side of the ball was veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey has been one of the best defenders in the secondary over the last decade or so, but he showed his age in 2025 as he eventually transitioned to safety. It is safe to say the move ultimately did not work out for Pittsburgh, even though he did make some big plays. He was more of a liability in many situations, however. Former Pittsburgh defensive lineman Chris Hoke went on 93.7 The Fan recently where he shared his opinions on what the team should do.

"The reality is, I think that he gave up a lot of plays this year," Hoke said. "I think he got beat quite a bit this year. Think back objectively. Don't put emotions in it. Objectively, he gave up a lot of touchdowns, and in critical moments in games. Even all the way back to the Jets game, or when he got beat by Jaxon Smith-Njigba on third down. He was a guy that came into training camp, everybody had a lot of high hopes. He was coming in talking about, 'I'm the one who's gonna line up and guard Ja'Marr Chase. That's me.' And he didn't pan out to be that guy. This year, he did not show what the Steelers anticipated him being."

Ramsey did have to cope with a lot of other injuries in the secondary, which kept the veteran bouncing around from position to position while not playing with the best players possible. That can take a toll on a player, but still, there were some plays that Ramsey couldn't make in 2025 which showed some cause for concern.

Hoke brought up some bad performances for Ramsey during the 2025 season. He got burnt by Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a critical third down while playing the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, and in a way, it sealed the game for Seattle. Ramsey also struggled against Ja'Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals while strictly playing cornerback in their first matchup of the season.

Ramsey's days of being a lockdown, number one cornerback are seemingly over, and that was evident in 2025. Maybe with a full offseason of training and preparing to play safety, he could put forth a better effort in 2026, but there is a chance that the franchise does not even give him an opportunity to do so. Trimming the payroll on the defensive side of the ball is almost necessary for the Steelers at this point, and Ramsey might be a good place to start.

Steelers Are In A Tough Spot With Jalen Ramsey's Contract

Ramsey is under contract through the 2028 season, and the Steelers don't really have a great way of getting out of the deal. His cap hits over the next three seasons are roughly $17 million, $19 million, and $31 million, respectively. The Steelers have a way to get out of the deal during the 2028 offseason, but getting rid of Ramsey during the 2026 offseason won't be easy. Pittsburgh can wait until after June 1st to release the veteran, which would spread about $14 million in dead cap charges out over the next two seasons. A trade is also possible, but not likely with his contract.

What do you think about Ramsey potentially being released during the 2026 offseason? Let us know in the comments below!

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