After their Week 5 bye, the Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for an AFC North matchup against the Cleveland Browns. However, cornerback Jalen Ramsey's status for the battle is up in the air.
Ramsey is dealing with a hamstring injury that has held him out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday. The cornerback worked during team periods on Friday, doing in his own words, “a little something, something.”
How the Steelers list Ramsey on their Friday injury report will be extremely telling. For now, Ramsey is keeping that information close to the vest, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
“We'll see,” Ramsey said.
The fact he was able to get in any work on Friday is a good sign. However, two missed practices can't be ignored. The Steelers are hopeful to have Ramsey on the field, but they won't rush him back if he isn't ready to play.
So far, the cornerback has been an impressive addition to Pittsburgh's secondary. Through his first four games, Ramsey has made 14 tackles, four passes defended and an interception. Furthermore, his 77.1 grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 11/169 cornerbacks. Ramsey has excelled in coverage, again ranking 11th with a 78 grade.
The Browns are going through a quarterback identity crisis, promoting rookie Dillon Gabriel and trading away veteran Joe Flacco. But whoever is under center would be more fearful seeing Ramsey in the secondary. The Steelers are hopeful they can make that a reality in Week 6. However, the cornerback may still need some more time before making his full return to the gridiron.
