The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense has struggled over the last two weeks after a strong start in Weeks 1 and 2. Since Week 3, the Steelers rank 29th in EPA per play, and they have allowed 54 points. Teams have also been able to get the ball out quickly against the Steelers, as they have allowed the fourth-quickest time to throw over that span.
When speaking to the media on Friday about new cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Terell Smith, cornerback Jalen Ramsey hinted at some issues between the coaching
staff and the players.
“The coaches have to put [new secondary members] out there with us so we can all get on the same page,” Ramsey said via Ashley Wenskoski. “There’s a little bit of a disconnect here right now, just with what we want to do on the field and how we play as a team and together as a secondary vs. just throwing a playbook in their hands and the coaches saying ‘This is how it has to look.‘ That’s not how football works.”
Ramsey continued by saying the best teams he’s been part of have been player-led.
“I think Aaron said it the other day in his press conference – the best teams that I’ve been on in my career are player-led teams,” Ramsey said. “We’re the ones on the field, we’re the ones that see and feel how the game is going and the flow of the game. When we can all be on the same page, it usually brings some success. Instead of just some guys going with the flow of the game, some guys going off of experience, and some guys having a playbook stuck in their locker and have to learn by the book things that offenses nowadays in 2026 don’t give you by the book drawn up formations.”
Ramsey is one of the most proven veterans on the Steelers’ roster as a multiple-time All-Pro and Super Bowl winner. His words don’t exactly hide there being a separation of feelings on the players’ side of things compared to the coaching staff, and it will be something to monitor if that unit continues to struggle.
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