The Pittsburgh Steelers will never label it a rebuild. That word doesn’t live comfortably inside the walls of their facility. But actions often speak louder than press conferences, and the 2025 offseason told a complicated story. Trading for Jalen Ramsey — and pairing that splash with the addition of Jonnu Smith — felt like an aggressive push toward contention. In reality, it may have been a shortcut that didn’t quite reach its destination.
On paper, the Ramsey deal made perfect sense. The defense needed star power in the secondary. Adding a household All-Pro to a unit built around T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward sounded like a declaration of intent. Ramsey’s versatility, physicality, and résumé suggested he could stabilize a defense that had shown cracks the year prior.
But football isn’t played on paper.
When fans reflect on Pittsburgh’s defense last season, positivity doesn’t come easily. The Steelers ranked 28th in opponent yards per game, allowing 360.8 per contest. Opposing quarterbacks averaged 7.3 yards per pass attempt, attacking downfield with confidence.
That’s not a stat line that screams “Ramsey effect.”
To be fair, Ramsey wasn’t invisible. His 88 total tackles ranked third on Teryl Austin’s unit, and his willingness to shift between cornerback, safety, and nickel showcased the versatility Pittsburgh envisioned when making the trade. Yet versatility only matters if it produces impact. The former first-round pick finished the season with just one interception — far below expectations for a player brought in to change games.
Mike McCarthy must identify what role Jalen Ramsey will play during the Pittsburgh Steelers rebuild
The bigger issue was timing. In the biggest moments, when elite quarterbacks forced the Steelers to defend every blade of grass, the bleeding didn’t stop. Ramsey’s presence alone couldn’t mask systemic breakdowns in coverage or communication. The star power was there, but the results weren’t.
That’s where the rebuild conversation quietly creeps in.
Ramsey signed a four-year, $84.7 million extension that keeps him under contract through 2028. That’s not a short-term rental; it’s a commitment. As the 2026 NFL Combine approaches, the Steelers’ front office must decide what exactly they committed to. Is Ramsey the long-term dynamic safety who anchors the secondary as it evolves? Or is he a movable piece in a broader retooling effort through the NFL Draft?
McCarthy’s vision matters here. His defensive blueprint may not require Ramsey to be the shutdown corner of his prime. Perhaps the future version of this defense leans on Ramsey’s intelligence more than his speed, positioning him as a hybrid chess piece rather than a pure cover man. If that’s the case, the trade may age better than the 2025 stat sheet suggests.
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Still, honesty is necessary. The Steelers didn’t get the transformational leap they hoped for. The offense remained inconsistent. The defense regressed statistically. And the blockbuster move that was supposed to quiet doubts instead raised new ones.
That doesn’t mean the trade was reckless. It means it was ambitious — and ambition carries risk. Pittsburgh gambled that adding established names would accelerate the path back to relevance. Instead, it exposed how many foundational pieces still need strengthening.
Now the Steelers stand at a crossroad. Ramsey is under contract. The money is committed. The expectations remain. Whether he becomes a pillar of the next great Pittsburgh defense or a symbol of a miscalculated push depends entirely on what happens next.
And that’s a decision the Steelers can’t afford to get wrong twice.