Whereas he’s greater than OK sharing the function because the Steelers’ No. 1 nook with Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey has already pulled rank in the case of overlaying All-Professional receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
The seven-time Professional Bowl defensive again made that clear when he was just lately requested who will cowl the Bengals’ No. 1 wideout when the Steelers face the Bengals this season.
“That is me. That is Jay,” Ramsey mentioned on The Pivot podcast. “That is 5 for now. That is 5. I do know that is what Joey needs as effectively. And he will get his [opportunities]. However, that is 5 for now. That is 5.”
To be clear, Ramsey’s want to protect Chase is on no account any disrespect towards the later. Conversely, it is a signal of respect as Ramsey needs to check his expertise in opposition to arguably the NFL’s finest receiver who final yr turned solely the fifth receiver since 1970 to steer the league in receptions, receiving yards and landing catches in the identical season.
“He is the one, too,” Ramsey mentioned of Chase, who caught 5 passes for 89 yards in opposition to a Ramsey-led Rams secondary in Tremendous Bowl LVI.
In Pittsburgh, Ramsey is making the transition from cornerback to free security, the place he shall be changing Minkah Fitzpatrick, who had some epic battles in opposition to Chase over the previous 5 seasons. Their rivalry led to the enduring image of Chase flipping Fitzpatrick the bird throughout a 2022 recreation between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Whereas Fitzpatrick is now in Miami, it seems there’ll nonetheless be a marquee showdown this season between Chase and one other All-Professional caliber participant from Pittsburgh’s secondary in Ramsey, a three-time All-Professional.
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Relating to his new function in Pittsburgh, Ramsey will nonetheless get an opportunity to play some cornerback whereas mixing his skills with fellow corners Porter and six-time Professional Bowler Darius Slay. Ramsey in contrast Porter to former Jaguars teammate A.J. Bouye when it comes to his want to ascend to the function because the group’s No. 1 nook.
“I like that,” Ramsey mentioned of Porter. “That mindset is loopy. … It is gonna be a match made in heaven. We’ll feed off one another, and Slay, if you wish to hop in there too, you come on. However if you wish to dominate the twos or the three, you try this, too. So it will be enjoyable, for positive.”
Ramsey loves Porter’s mindset, and as Ramsey alluded to, there’s going to loads of possibilities this season for Porter to point out what he can do because the group’s No. 1 nook. However that apparently will not be the case, nevertheless, when the Steelers face Chase and the remainder of the Bengals’ offense this season.
