ST.Jalen Ramsey wows Steelers with on-field production — and the fact he was even on the field at all
Aaron Rodgers has been around the NFL for 21 years, played with three different teams and many different teammates.
But it is not very often he has seen a player do what Jalen Ramsey did in Sunday’s 23-9 victory against the Cleveland Browns. And he wasn’t just talking about what the seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback did on the field at Acrisure Stadium.
It was that he was even on the field.
“What he did this week getting ready to play, I’ve been around the game a long time and I’ve seen a lot of guys in a situation where you got a Sunday/Thursday, they skip both games,” Rodgers said.
Not Ramsey.
He didn’t miss any.
After he injured his hamstring and did not finish the game in Ireland against the Minnesota Vikings, the Steelers thought Ramsey would miss at least one game, given the tenuous nature of such injuries.
And, when he sat out the first two practices last week, it appeared he would not play against the Browns. But there he was, playing on what coach Mike Tomlin said was designed to be a pitch count but ending up on the field for 63 of the 75 defensive plays.
Until he injured his hamstring against the Vikings, Ramsey had played every snap this season.
“We certainly wanted to make sure he could impact the game,” Tomlin said. “I cannot say enough about Jalen Ramsey, guys. This guy plays outside corner. He plays nickel. He plays free safety. He is exactly what we hoped he would be and certainly he was significant [Sunday].”
Ramsey had six tackles and two of the Steelers’ six sacks on Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel, which, he playfully noted, were more than the combined total of the league’s two premier pass rushers, T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett. It was the first time Ramsey had two sacks in a game in his 10-year career.
“I’m probably going to tell my kids about this — I played in a game with T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett and I had two sacks,” Ramsey said. “Crazy, huh?”
But what was more impressive to Rodgers was the mere fact Ramsey even played against the Browns. He went out of his way during his postgame press conference to talk about his teammate, saying some players don’t want to play injured because of fear of failure.
“I think some guys are scared to go out there and play,” Rodgers said. “But for Jalen to go out there, with everything he’s accomplished in this league, I just can’t say enough about the level of respect I have for him. He had, what, two sacks and pass break-ups and tackles. If there was any question about the type of person that he is — take away the incredible player — but the person and teammate, I think he just showed all of us the kind of guy that he is by going out there and playing today.”
Tomlin said at his weekly press conference Monday that Ramsey had no setback against the Browns and expects him to play Thursday night in Cincinnati against the Bengals (2-4). Not that he was surprised.
“It’s certainly a shining example of what professional football is about,” Tomlin said. “But I doubt any of us are surprised by it. That’s very consistent behavior with what he’s displayed throughout. Personally, for a guy like me who has scouted him since he was at Florida State, I certainly know that’s a component of his football character.
“It doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate it. Not only do we appreciate his willingness to play — we appreciate his playmaking. You need both in order for it to be real, and he certainly provided both.”
First Published: October 14, 2025, 12:26 a.m.
Updated: October 14, 2025, 9:00 a.m.
