The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a busy offseason in 2025. The franchise kicked things off by trading a second-round pick to Seattle for wide receiver DK Metcalf before signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to be their starter at the most important position in sports.
Changes weren’t limited to the offense, though. Pittsburgh traded away safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith in addition to a draft pick swap.
Ramsey brings another veteran presence to the Steelers’ secondary. He spoke on an episode of the “Pivot Podcast” with former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder today about his experiences in Pittsburgh so far and his respect for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
“All the essence of what football is about, he emphasizes it,” Ramsey said. “Toughness, being well-conditioned… it ain’t no gray area. It’s black and white. This what we about around here.
Were y’all tough today? Were you well conditioned? Were you running to the ball? Were you on your alignment, your assignment, your technique? Like, it ain’t no excuses.”
“There is no grey area with this team. We all know what we are here to do.” @jalenramsey
Uncut, raw and unapologetically him!!! Jalen chops it up with the fellas and lets them know- he’s found his football happy place in Pittsburgh. He traded in the Rolls for a Ram truck, all… pic.twitter.com/iwOUGHKlgC
— Pivot Podcast (@thepivot) August 12, 2025
Ramsey, a three-time first-team All-Pro, is entering his 11th season in the NFL. He spent the last two years in Miami and made the Pro Bowl in 2023 despite missing seven games.
Prior to his stop in Miami, Ramsey played three and a half years in Los Angeles with the Rams. He was part of the team that won the Super Bowl in 2021.
Pittsburgh lists him as the first-team nickel cornerback on the latest depth chart with Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay at the outside cornerback spots. Porter Jr. is the lone returning starter from last season when the Steelers had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL (27th in yards allowed).
Pittsburgh still made the playoffs as a 10-7 wild-card team and has its eyes set on another playoff berth with Rodgers at quarterback.
The Steelers won their preseason opener against Ramsey’s former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, 31-25. They host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday, Aug. 16.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Ramsey says there ‘ain’t no gray area’ in Steelers camp
