When it comes to NFL players playing through their injuries, fans often put Josh Allen at the top. The Buffalo Bills quarterback has played through a broken hand, a broken foot, and other minor injuries. This season, too, he took a hit in his knee but will be playing against the Tennessee Titans. But with Allen receiving all the spotlight, it’s now time for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey to receive some attention, too. 

On September 29, Ramsey said he broke his right wrist early in last Sunday’s win against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury raised questions about his availability for the Browns game. But Ramsey made sure to give them some relief. 

“I’m going to give everything to try to (play). I have to be able to protect it. It’s a real injury, a broken wrist,” he said per Steelers beat reporter Nick Farabaugh. “I can’t really do anything about it. It’s just going to be about seeing if I’m able to protect it and also still be myself in a good enough capacity where I feel like if I go out there, I won’t be letting any of my teammates down.”

Despite the injury, Ramsey demonstrated his durability. The 31-year-old sustained the injury in the first series of the Week 3 game. However, he refused to leave the gridiron and still played all 57 defensive snaps against the Bengals and finished with eight tackles, including four solo stops, as the Steelers secured a 30-27 win at Acrisure Stadium. His tackle total trailed only Patrick Queen’s 13 and Rayshawn Jenkins’ nine among Pittsburgh defenders.

On the Bengals’ first possession, Ramsey helped linebacker Payton Wilson stop Chase Brown for a 1-yard loss and later joined Jenkins in forcing receiver Dohnte Meyers out of bounds.

“It was hurting,” Ramsey said of how his wrist felt during the game.

While verbally, the cornerback seemed confident about being on the wheels of the Steelers’ secondary against Cleveland, the visuals were enough to spread panic on Tuesday. He was a limited participant in walk-through practice, according to the injury report. Besides this, Ramsey was spotted with a cast covering his right hand. However, later on, the sling went missing, giving Pittsburgh fans some hope. 

After all, the franchise cannot afford to lose him at the moment as they are now 2-1 after three weeks. Ramsey is in his second year with the Steelers after recording 88 tackles, three sacks, one interception, and eight passes defended last season. He has also maintained his durability, playing in all 17 games for the second consecutive season (the first one in Miami).

The cornerback carried that momentum to the 2026 season. In the first three games, he has recorded 17 tackles, a pass defended, and a forced fumble. His contribution became more valuable in light of the lackluster performance by the Steelers offense. 

Even before Ramsey dropped an update about his injury, head coach Mike McCarthy had kept full faith in him. 

“Jalen has a wrist injury. We’ll obviously get you the report today after practice and so forth,” he said. “It’s too early to tell, but just based off his history, I think he’ll do everything he possibly can to play.”

The last time Ramsey missed significant time was during the 2023 NFL season, when he was playing for the Miami Dolphins. He sat out the first seven regular-season games after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee sustained during training camp with the Dolphins.

The conviction with which Ramsey is moving forward comes off as a gust of fresh air in the Steelers’ secondary that is otherwise in flux.

Jalen Ramsey Faces Added Responsibility Amid Steelers’ Secondary Injuries

Joey Porter Jr. was estimated to be a full participant in all of Pittsburgh’s walkthroughs this week for the first time since his late-August activation from the physically unable to perform list. The Steelers cornerback had been managing a back injury while navigating a contentious contract dispute. With no extension agreed upon before the regular-season deadline, Porter has missed the first three games as he continues to work on his conditioning.

Porter is in a better place now after having previously been limited for the entire season up until this week. However, that does not mean Porter Jr. is a 100 percent lock to suit up and hit the gridiron vs. Cleveland.

Similarly, slot cornerback Brandin Echols is now deemed uncertain for Thursday’s game. 

“This is notable. Brandin Echols is also in the concussion protocol, and that likely all but rules him out for Thursday’s game,” reported Farabaugh. 

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh will once again be without safety DeShon Elliott, who is set to miss his fourth consecutive game as he recovers from last year’s season-ending knee injury and hamstring issues. For now, he remains on injured reserve.

Amidst all this, fans are looking up to Ramsey to hold the reins tightly against the Browns. However, the team has yet to release any official news on him.