Jalen Ramsey nearly gave Pittsburgh Steelers fans a heart attack when he faked a hamstring injury on a touchdown celebration early in the game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. But the worst part isn't that the touchdown was wiped off the board when replay showed that a Vikings player touched the loose ball out of bounds; it was when Ramsey suffered the ultimate irony.
Late in the game, the Steelers' cornerback got beaten on a double move by wide receiver Jordan Addison down the left sideline. Ramsey attempted to recover by turning and running with the young receiver, but in the process, he suffered a hamstring injury—this time for real.
The irony of Ramsey's hamstring ailment quickly went viral on social media, as football fans, aggregation accounts, and even major betting outlets quickly cut up side-by-side video of Ramsey's 'injury' touchdown celebration with his actual hamstring injury.
This was a brutal look for the veteran cornerback.
Ramsey, who turns 31 years old in October, attempted to make his way back on the field, but he couldn't play through the ailment. Now the veteran cornerback not only has to deal with the embarrassment of going viral for the wrong reasons, but he may also be in line to miss game action.
Pittsburgh Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey learned a valuable lesson from fake injury celebration
Jalen Ramsey wasn't the first football player to fake an injury on his way to the endzone, but this might be the last time he does something like this. Though his fake injury celebration had nothing to do with the injury he sustained, the cropped video footage that ensued made Ramsey out to be a laughingstock.
While we are still waiting for a status report from head coach Mike Tomlin on Ramsey's health, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac reported that the veteran cornerback is 'expected to miss at least several games' with the hamstring injury.
If this is true, it's a brutal blow to the Steelers' secondary. Thankfully, Pittsburgh has an early Week 5 bye... and it couldn't come at a better time. In addition to Ramsey being dinged up, the Steelers are dealing with injuries to wide receiver Calvin Austin III (shoulder), edge rusher Alex Highsmith (ankle), and defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk (ankle).
What's worse is that three of Pittsburgh's cornerbacks besides Ramsey—Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice Jr., and Brandin Echols—are also dealing with injuries.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have already had a plethora of injuries sustained in the secondary early in the season, and they didn't need Jalen Ramsey added to the mix. Let's hope he gets back on the field soon. He might think twice before the next time he fakes an injury during a game after this unfortunate and ironic situation.