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The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to look very different on both sides of the ball in 2025.
The notable offensive changes you will see are a big one, including Aaron Rodgers at QB, DK Metcalf at receiver, and Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, George Pickens, and Najee Harris depart. On defense, Minkah Fitzpatrick was recently traded for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith in a blockbuster fashion. Steelers' defensive star Cameron Hayward revealed a bittersweet reaction to the recent trade on the Rich Eisen Show.
“The way it came out, I thought we were bringing Jalen in for just a pick, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, hell yeah. I love this,'” Heyward said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. “And then I found out it's a trade with Minkah, and I'm like, ‘Damn, you're taking away a guy that has really meant a lot to our group.' So I was a little bit bummed about it.”
“But you look at what Jalen brings to the table, there's no (shortage) of talent there. Jalen is a ball-hawking DB that can play corner. He can play slot. He can play safety. His versatility makes him very, very great in our defense. Week in and week out, you look at him, and he's taking receivers out of the equation. I loved looking at those battles of him and DK (Metcalf) all those years ago. It's nice to have both of those guys on our sideline now, and now they can go out and wreak a lotta havoc on both sides of the ball.”
Ramsey is a great addition to the roster. He has been one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL since his rookie season. The elite corner is just 30 years old and has a ton of gas left in the tank. If he can stay healthy, Ramsey will provide the Steelers' secondary with a ball hawk and a corner that opposing receivers feel threatened by.
Hayward had final thoughts on the Ramsey addition and how he will mesh with the team.
“Just talking to Jalen so far, Jalen just wants to play ball. Jalen wants a chance to compete at the highest level,” Heyward said. “We're gonna do whatever we can to foster that. We're gonna put him in the right situations. Sometimes, coaches kind of run from those situations and say, ‘Man, that guy can be a headache.' It doesn't matter if a guy is a headache, we can still win with a guy and he can be a part of it and be a positive contributor. I think sometimes you've got to welcome what all a player brings because that's what makes a good team. It's not like all good teams never have headaches or all good teams never have players that are different. Man, you've gotta let players be the players, go out there and try to mesh as a team.”
