The best thing about the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 performance against the Atlanta Falcons was their defense (thanks in large part to T.J. Watt). They had a favorable matchup against a third-string quarterback, but Pittsburgh took care of business—allowing just 238 total yards while forcing two turnovers.
But despite the strong defensive performance, we've already spotted a weak link in an otherwise strong chain: veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins.
Against the Falcons, Jenkins logged 31 defensive snaps, but the results were undesirable. On his lone target in his coverage, Jenkins surrendered a 23-yard touchdown to star running back Bijan Robinson, per Pro Football Focus [$]. This equated to a perfect 158.3 passer rating surrendered in the season opener.
PFF also charted Jenkins with a dismal 31.0 tackling grade, as he took poor angles to the football. His 35.0 overall grade ranks 79th among 82 qualifying safeties after Week 1. And the tape backs up his defensive struggles.
Now we're understanding all of the reasons why the veteran safety can't seem to stay in one place.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are witnessing all of Rayshawn Jenkins' shortcomings firsthand
Jenkins' NFL journey began a decade ago in 2017. The former fourth-round pick of the Chargers played out his rookie contract with Los Angeles before spending three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. But since 2023, Jenkins has suited up for four different teams... and we're starting to understand why.
From LA to Jacksonville to Seattle to Cleveland, and now Pittsburgh, Jenkins has not been able to shake his inconsistencies. At 6'1'' and 200 pounds, with long arms and a good athletic profile, Jenkins looks the part, but it hasn't produced stable results on the field.
Rayshawn Jenkins' PFF grades since 2021
Year | PFF Grade | Rank |
|---|---|---|
2021 | 56.9 | 75th of 92 |
2022 | 53.7 | 80th of 88 |
2023 | 60.9 | 70th of 95 |
2024 | 52.5 | 87th of 98 |
2025 | 55.0 | N/A |
2026 | 35.0 | 79th of 82 |
Obviously, Pro Football Focus grades don't tell the whole story. But these may help give an explanation as to why Jenkins simply hasn't been able to stick with a single team for more than a year at a time over the past four seasons.
And he's certainly off to a rocky start with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026.
To his credit, Jenkins possesses splash-play ability. The veteran has collected 11 career interceptions and 34 passes defensed. Sadly, this doesn't make up for his inconsistencies both in coverage and when it comes to taking angles as a run defender.
What should the Steelers do with Rayshawn Jenkins moving forward?
I'm not suggesting the Steelers release their veteran safety because of a poor performance in Week 1. Jenkins still has experience and physicality on his side, if nothing else. But I think defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will need to limit his defensive usage to a part-time role.
This is basically what we saw in Week 1. Jenkins' 31 defensive snaps accounted for just over 50 percent of the total defensive snaps against the Falcons (and even that may be too much).
Jenkins has been cooked down the field in recent years, and the Steelers can't allow him to be the reason why the defense is giving up big plays. When he's on the field, Jenkins does some of his best work near the line of scrimmage and as a blitzer, thanks to his physical nature and willingness to tackle.
When DeShon Elliott comes back, Jenkins will go back to a reserve role, and his defensive snap count will drop significantly (as it should). In the meantime, the Steelers are going to have to find ways to cover up Jenkins and ensure he doesn't get exposed on defense.
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