PITTSBURGH —With Ja'Marr Chase on the horizon, the Pittsburgh Steelers ' secondary remains in flux. Not that Mike Tomlin is going to fret about that.
Recent injuries have forced Jalen Ramsey to the back end of the team's defense, and fellow veteran coverman Darius Slay is currently in concussion protocol after being bumped in the head by teammate Kyle Dugger on Sunday night. Ramsey and Dugger, however, have brought much-needed steadiness to the unit while usual starter DeShon Elliott has been out with a badly hyperextended knee.
"I think we're still very much in development," Tomlin said Tuesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "Jalen is not the issue, man. He's got flexibility. It's about the flexibility of those around him and the talents of those around him. But, certainly, over the last two weeks, just his presence consistently at free safety has been a stabilizing force for us on the back end, and I would imagine that's not gonna change."
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerbacks Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. during a game against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 26, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Safety Jabrill Peppers (quad) is set to be limited to begin the week of practice, but could make a return against Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals . Joey Porter Jr. was flagged a few times the last time the two teams played, bringing up questions about his technique once more.
James Pierre stepped in after Slay was hurt against the Los Angeles Chargers and posted some more tape that Tomlin liked. The cornerback's effort has been "reflective of how he prepares and the level of professionalism that he brings day in and day out," Tomlin said.
Pierre went undrafted in 2020 and spent the first four seasons of his career in black and gold. He signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency last year before being released about five months later and returning to the Steelers. He's played in a total of 90 games for Tomlin.
"Just over the course of his career, I think, since he's been here, he's played in more games than anyone on our roster," Tomlin said. "He's always available. He's a dynamic special teams player, and he's a rising defender, particularly in 2025."
Chase, a triple crown winner last season, went for 161 yards and a touchdown on 16 receptions when the Steelers visited last month.
"I had a lot of man. They doubled on third down, for real, trying to mix it up a little bit, but they did exactly what we (were) expecting and hoping they'd do," Chase said afterward. "We knew they was gonna put Joey (Porter Jr.) on Tee and Jalen on me. We knew that. We was ready for it and we was gonna take advantage of those opportunities."
The Steelers enter Sunday's grudge match with the worst passing defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed per game (269.4).
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Can CBs Hold Up If Steelers Keep Jalen Ramsey at Safety?
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