Veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey will get a lot more expensive for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026. That could make the 31-year-old a cut candidate this offseason, especially with the head coach who acquired him in a trade last summer, Mike Tomlin, gone.
The decision the Steelers face with Ramsey, though, isn’t simple. He provides versatility and leadership for the Pittsburgh secondary, which could see turnover at other positions in 2026.
That versatility is actually why Steelers insider Mark Kaboly described the choice the team faces with Ramsey this offseason as complicated. But Kaboly ultimately predicted the Steelers to keep the veteran defensive back.
“Ramsey was very good until they asked him to play safety, and then the production dipped,” Kaboly wrote on Friday. “That complicated things.
“If the idea is to move Ramsey back to the slot and still be a mentor to Joey Porter Jr., like last year, you keep him.”
In 17 games, Ramsey posted 88 combined tackles, including four for loss. He also had three sacks, eight pass defenses and one interception.
Behind that stat line, Ramsey made the eighth Pro Bowl of his NFL career.
Should the Steelers Keep Veteran CB Jalen Ramsey?
Pittsburgh has future Hall of Fame players at all three levels of its defense. But all three are arguably past their primes and might not return to the Steelers in 2026.
Ramsey is that player in the secondary. His final stat line was impressive, and he earned a Pro Bowl nomination. But Ramsey was inconsistent in coverage and received mixed reviews for his play at safety.
Fellow Steelers insider Gerry Dulac, though, agreed with Kaboly on Ramsey’s Steelers future.
“I don’t see Ramsey exiting,” Dulac wrote, via Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi. “They can adjust his cap hit if necessary with the projected huge increase in the salary cap.”
According to Spotrac, Ramsey will have a $17.229 million cap hit in 2026. That’s a rise from about $4.9 million, which was his cap hit during 2025.
Ramsey also has three years remaining on his deal. His cap hit will increase again in 2027 and 2028, topping out at $31.049 million.
It’s unlikely Ramsey will have an opportunity to finish out the contract. But he remains good enough that it probably makes the most sense for the Steelers to keep him one more season.
At least that’s what Kaboly and Dulac both see happening.
Steelers Projected to Face ‘Complicated’ Decision With Former All-Pro Jalen Ramsey