Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Misfits. Problem players. Bad guys. Plenty of mud was slung at new Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Ramsey this offseason as their former teams essentially decided they were better off without them.
The New York Jets made Rodgers fly all the way across the country, just to tell him they were cutting him, opening the door to him coming to Pittsburgh. The Miami Dolphins decided early in the offseason they were trading Ramsey and held him out of their entire offseason process before finally shipping him to Pittsburgh in late June.
Some version of “what is Pittsburgh doing” was the battle cry from the national media as the Steelers collected a group of past-their-prime vets that were cast off from losing teams.
The biggest complaint was that the additions of Rodgers and Ramsey would ruin the Steelers’ culture — something the team had done a lot of work on over the last two offseasons, jettisoning disgruntled players like Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, and doing so in less-than-favorable trades in order to create a more peaceful team environment.
Wasn’t Mike Tomlin doing as much harm with his additions as he did good with his subtractions?
Turns out, the answer to that question has been a resounding no. Rodgers has been a fantastic fit inside Arthur Smith’s offense, and hasn’t needed any of the kind of special treatment he got in New York to be a difference-maker. He’s bonded with teammates two decades younger than him and completely fit into the Steelers’ culture.
Ramsey has taken a role that does not involve him being the team’s obligate No. 1 cornerback, moving around to the slot and safety, while also becoming a leader of the defensive backfield.
On Sunday, he played through a hamstring injury to help shut down the Cleveland Browns, recording two sacks — the first time for a Steelers cornerback in nearly a decade — and playing all three of his positions despite practicing just once, not being anywhere near 100%, and another game on the horizon just four days later.
“I’ve been around the game a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of guys in a situation where you got a Sunday/Thursday, skip both games,” Rodgers said. “Where maybe they’re 85%, but they want to be 100%. … I think some guys are scared to go out there and play, but for Jalen to go out there with everything he’s accomplished in this league, I just can’t say enough about the level of respect I have for him.”
For Tomlin, Rodgers and Ramsey working out is a bit of a victory-lap moment. Two other coaches decided they couldn’t work with these players. Tomlin has gotten them to bend to fit into a team concept, with selfless acts and leadership — and by the way, the Steelers are 4-1 and in first place.
“It’s certainly a shining example of what professional football is about,” Tomlin said about Ramsey. “But I doubt that any of us...
