The Steelers head into Sunday’s matchup with the Colts carrying a secondary that suddenly looks stretched to the edge. Jamel Dean is out with an ankle injury, DeShon Elliott is out with a knee issue, and Jalen Ramsey is listed as questionable with a wrist problem. That leaves Pittsburgh with a lot of moving parts and very little time to sort them out after trading Joey Porter Jr. and signing two cornerbacks this week.
Friday’s injury report confirmed what Thursday had already started to suggest. Ramsey was back in limited work for a second straight day, but Dean’s third consecutive missed practice ended any real hope that he’d be available. Elliott, meanwhile, has only just gotten back on the field after beginning the season on injured reserve, and the limited practices weren’t enough to get him cleared for Sunday.
The report also ruled out Michael Pittman Jr. and kept Rico Dowdle questionable with a toe injury. Dowdle was limited every day this week after missing two games. Cameron Heyward, after resting Wednesday, returned to full participation on Thursday and Friday.
Ramsey’s status matters because of where Pittsburgh can use him. He can line up outside, but that move comes with a cost.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has said he likes Ramsey working at safety and in the slot, and with Elliott unavailable, shifting Ramsey away from those spots could open up another problem. The outside corners will need to show they can hold up before the Steelers start rearranging everything behind them.
That’s where the new faces come in. Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette have already played outside in Graham’s defense.
Sean Murphy-Bunting and Terell Smith are also in the mix, though both have had only a few days to learn the playbook. NFL experience matters, but so does knowing exactly what the guy next to you is going to do when the Colts start changing looks.
Indianapolis has every reason to challenge whichever newcomer ends up on the field.
Elliott’s return will have to wait. Even with those limited practices, he remains on injured reserve and still needs a separate activation before he can play.
That could put more on rookie Robert Spears-Jennings at safety, especially as a tackler if Jonathan Taylor breaks through the first line. Derrick Harmon’s absence up front makes those cleanup plays tougher to avoid.
On offense, Pittman’s absence changes the picture as well. His reunion with the Colts is off, which leaves DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard as Aaron Rodgers’ main options.
Wilson has shown he can stretch the field, and Bernard now has a chance to carve out a bigger role. Rodgers still needs someone who can handle the shorter catches Pittman was supposed to bring with his size and experience.
Dowdle’s availability could affect the backfield too, but if he plays, it doesn’t mean the workload gets divided evenly right away. Jaylen Warren has already given Pittsburgh plenty of reason to keep leaning on him.
Sunday’s inactive list will clear up the final Ramsey and Dowdle calls before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
In Other News...
Colts Face A Week 5 Matchup Pittsburgh Could Exploit
The Steelers head into Week 5 at 2-2, and the matchup with Indianapolis carries a little extra intrigue because both teams have the same record. ESPN has already flagged tight end Darnell Washington as a player who could matter in a meaningful way for Pittsburgh, which is the kind of early attention that tends to follow a player whose role is starting to draw notice in the offense.
Aaron Rodgers has also shown a preference for getting Washington involved, and the timing of that could be important as Pittsburgh sorts through its game plan for Sunday. The Colts present a chance for the Steelers to lean on a part of the passing game that has been building, and Washingtons usage is one of the more interesting subplots as the team looks to turn a .500 start into something steadier. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Cornerback Problem Nobody Saw Coming
The Steelers secondary has gone from a place of relative certainty to one of sudden urgency. After dealing Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas for future draft compensation, Pittsburgh had to start thinking about the cornerback room in a different way, especially with the franchise waiting years to see the full return from that move. The front office also moved quickly to patch the depth chart, bringing in Sean Murphy-Bunting and Terell Smith from practice squads to help stabilize a position group that can unravel fast when the numbers get tight.
What makes the situation more awkward is how many moving parts are still unsettled around the rest of the defense. Injuries have already thinned the cornerback mix, and Jalen Ramseys status adds another layer of uncertainty the Steelers cant ignore. For a team that expected to be sorting out roles and matchups, not emergency coverages, the next stretch could reveal whether those recent additions are enough or just the first stopgap in a longer fix. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Already Have A New Quarterback Debate For Life After Rodgers
The Steelers may still be sorting out what comes next behind Aaron Rodgers, but the long view is already coming into focus. With Drew Allar and Will Howard on the roster, Pittsburgh has bodies in the quarterback room, yet the expectation is that the front office will stay aggressive when the next real wave of passers reaches the NFL. For a team that has spent years trying to line up its post-Rodgers answer, the 2027 draft class is starting to look like the place where that search could finally sharpen.
Several college quarterbacks are beginning to separate themselves as names worth tracking for Pittsburghs future plans, even this early. CJ Carr, Darian Mensah, Drew Mestemaker and Kamario Taylor all have the kind of current NCAA production that makes them worth circling now, and the Steelers will be watching closely as their evaluations evolve. It is still the kind of conversation built on projection, but for a franchise thinking past the present, the next quarterback debate may already be taking shape. [Read more 🡒]