When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field for their first game of the 2025 season against the New York Jets, all eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers. This is understandable. So much of the team's success hinges on the quarterback position. Meanwhile, fans will be itching to see what his new top target, DK Metcalf, will look like in his first game in black and gold.
But there's another Steelers debut fans are completely overlooking.
Jalen Ramsey could prove to be one of the most important players on the team in 2025, and his performance on Sunday could tell a great deal about how we can expect things to go this season. Ramsey, a former three-time First-Team All-Pro cornerback and seven-time Pro Bowler, is looking to continue his impressive career in Pittsburgh.
Here's the kicker: we still don't know what the exact plan for Ramsey will look like this year.
Jalen Ramsey could make or break the Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary in 2025
Early in training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers showed off Ramsey's position flexibility by playing him at slot cornerback and free safety, as well as boundary cornerback. However, his alignment in the secondary is still a mystery until we see him against the New York Jets in Week 1.
Many have speculated that Ramsey will be the starting free safety when the Steelers are in their base 3-4 defense. This would take starter Juan Thornhill off the field while allowing Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. to be the cornerback pairing.
We feel confident at this point that Ramsey will be the slot cornerback when the Steelers are in their nickel or dime defense. Yet, we have no idea how much nickel Pittsburgh intends to play this year. General manager Omar Khan bolstered the secondary and the interior defensive line, so it's hard to tell what the plan of attack will be.
Either way, Ramsey needs to be as good as advertised. So much of the team's success depends on him.
Whether tasked with following a team's top wide receiver, covering younger, shiftier receivers from the slot, or playing deep in the secondary at safety, the Steelers need to get a playmaker. This is largely because we can't fully trust some members of the secondary at this stage.
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After an impressive rookie season, Porter took a step back in year two as his season was riddled with penalties, grabbiness, and sloppy play. Meanwhile, Slay is going from the best defense in Philadelphia to a defense that sometimes failed to generate quick pressure last season. The 34-year-old is on his last legs, and his performance could fall off a cliff at any given moment.
Ramsey needs to be the stable presence in the secondary, but can he still do that? The star cornerback turns 31 years old in October, and he only had an average season with the Miami Dolphins in 2024.
Of course, we all need to see Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf perform well in their Pittsburgh Steelers debut against the Jets, but don't be quick to overlook Jalen Ramsey (by his standards, at least). The defense's success may live or die by what he's able to offer in 2025.