With preseason wrapped up and final roster cuts in the books, the Pittsburgh Steelers are officially in the stretch run toward Week 1. The opener is still just over a week away, with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks set to face off in the first game of the season, and the team’s weekly live chat is back as well.
This marks the first Steelers live chat of the 2026 season, and it’s set to run for an hour each week at lunchtime. Fans who can’t join live can still send in questions ahead of time through the callout post in The Feed, which is exactly what happened here.
One reader wanted clarity on the cornerback picture, asking: “If Dean and Porter are our two starting outside cbs, who is first and second in line for slot corner duties? If Ramsey does or does not play safety, what is the order?
And who is the primary backup for outside cb? Thanks for your hard work to all at BTSC.”
The answer starts with Ramsey. He’d be the top nickel corner, and in base looks he’s expected to line up at safety before sliding down into nickel work in sub-packages.
Behind him, Asante Samuel is the top backup. He hasn’t logged much nickel time in his NFL career, but Mike McCarthy was asked during training camp whether Samuel could handle multiple spots, and his answer was yes. That leaves the door open for Samuel to get some nickel reps as well.
In Other News...
Steelers Cut Just Drew Immediate Interest From Another Team
D'Shawn Jamison did not stay on the market long after the Steelers moved on from him during final roster cuts. The cornerback, who has also spent time with the Panthers and 49ers, drew a workout from the Arizona Cardinals and quickly landed a practice-squad spot as teams continue sorting out depth in the secondary.
Arizonas interest makes sense with Will Johnson sidelined by a lower-body injury and five cornerbacks already on the active roster. For Pittsburgh, Jamisons quick landing is another reminder of how fluid the back end of the roster can be once cutdown day passes and teams start looking for experienced cover help. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Quietly Added An Intriguing Edge Rusher To Watch
The Steelers quietly added three players to the practice squad, and one of the more interesting names is Bradyn Swinson, a young edge rusher with some real developmental appeal. Pittsburgh also brought in defensive back Car'Lin Vigers and wide receiver Brandon Johnson, but Swinson stands out because of where he was drafted and the kind of role the Steelers believe he can grow into.
A 2025 fifth-round pick by the Patriots, Swinson spent most of his rookie year on New Englands practice squad and got into three games. For a Steelers team that has long valued pass-rush depth and coaching up athletic defenders, he is the kind of low-risk addition worth monitoring as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Tomlin Finally Revealed What Really Pushed Steelers To Trade Pickens
The Steelers did not move on from George Pickens just because they had a chance to reshuffle the wide receiver room. Mike Tomlin laid out the thinking behind the decision, saying Pittsburgh no longer saw Pickens as a fit for its long-term plans, especially when it came to the leadership expectations that come with a second contract. In that same explanation, Tomlin pointed to DK Metcalf as the kind of player the organization felt more comfortable building around after giving him a major extension.
Pickens time in Pittsburgh had plenty of talent but also enough friction to make the choice easier to understand in hindsight. The fines and on-field incidents that followed him through his Steelers tenure were part of the backdrop, and Tomlins comments made clear those issues mattered when the team weighed what it wanted next at the position. The larger question now is how far Pittsburgh was willing to go to draw that line, and what it says about the standard the front office wants to keep enforcing. [Read more 🡒]