The Pittsburgh Steelers will have their worst defensive fear realized this month.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning Steelers cornerback Jamel Dean will miss a couple weeks. Dean suffered an ankle injury during Week 4 versus the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night.
Rapoport posted that update on X after also reporting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon will be out a few weeks for the Steelers as well.
“The Steelers also could be without CB Jamel Dean for a couple of weeks as he works his way back from an ankle injury,” wrote Rapoport.
The Steelers entered training camp with the most cornerback depth they’ve had in a long time. But outside of a few practice sessions during the regular season, Joey Porter Jr. never took the field this season because of a contract dispute. Late Wednesday night, the Steelers traded Porter to the Dallas Cowboys.
Now without Dean, the Steelers face several difficult questions in the secondary entering Week 5.
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Dean arrived in Pittsburgh as a free-agent signing during March. The 29-year-old signed a 3-year, $36.75 million contract early in NFL free agency.
With Dean, the Steelers appeared set to start the new signee and Porter on the outside with former All-Pro Jalen Ramsey playing a rover. Ramsey still has the ability to line up outside, but he also excels in the slot and played some safety last season.
That plan is now completely out the window with Dean out and Porter traded. Without Dean, the Steelers will be missing one of the more underrated cornerbacks in the league.
Dean has never made the Pro Bowl, but over eight NFL seasons, he’s been a very reliable cover corner. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Dean at No. 94 overall in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He helped the team win the Super Bowl during his second season.
Dean became a regular starter for the Buccaneers in 2021. He started at least 11 games each season for Tampa Bay from 2021-25. Dean actually had a career-high 17 pass defenses as a rookie before he was a regular starter, but quarterbacks have thrown less in his direction over the years because of his strong coverage.
Last season, Dean posted 46 combined tackles, nine pass defenses and a career-high three interceptions.
Pittsburgh Secondary Without Dean
If there’s any good news with Dean sidelined, the Steelers won’t face the most dominating quarterbacks over the next couple weeks. In Week 5, they will welcome Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts to Acrisure Stadium.
Then the following Sunday, the Steelers will visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who could be starting an undrafted rookie behind center.
The Steelers will also play the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns over the next few weeks before their mid-November bye. Dean could probably return in either of those contests.
But without him in the interim, the Steelers might have to slide Ramsey back outside. Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette are the other two candidates to play outside cornerback without Dean.
If Ramsey moves outside, Brandin Echols will serve as Pittsburgh’s new slot cornerback. No matter where Ramsey plays, though, Samuel, Everette, and Echols all figure to play more until Dean returns.
Through four weeks, the Steelers are allowing 209.5 passing yards per game, which is about middle of the pack. The Steelers defense, though, has yielded 6.8 net yards per pass attempt, which is ranked 24th in the league.
Steelers Get Bad Injury News for Secondary With Jamel Dean: Report