Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers’ tight end defended his teammate.
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey at the end of June, shipping former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins.
Coming along with Ramsey was Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith, who caught a career-high 88 passes in 2024. Speaking to the media on Friday, Smith was asked about Ramsey and what he brings to the table as a player and teammate.
“Great guy,” Smith said. “You get a lot of people who got Jalen misunderstood. Obviously, with all the stuff that went down in Miami, what kind of things are portrayed... that was my first year with Jalen. The guy just wants to win, and you want guys like that around.”
It was reported that Ramsey and Dolphins clashed due to the cornerback showing up late for practice and “undermining” head coach Mike McDaniel. However, considering all the dysfunction that has taken place over the last two seasons with the Dolphins, take all of this with a grain of salt.
Ramsey has made an instant impact through the first two days of Steelers camp. He’s played predominantly at nickel thus far, but has taken snaps on the boundary and at safety during team drills, as well. The Steelers traded for the former All-Pro because of his versatility, and so far, he has showcased exactly that.
Pittsburgh will take the field for the first time in exhibition play on August 7th in Jacksonville against the Jaguars.
