Jalen Ramsey Injury: Activated Off PUP

Jalen Ramsey injury news flipped Monday. The Steelers activated the cornerback off the physically unable to perform list and put him on the practice field at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, the team and TribLive both had. He had been on PUP since camp opened after a knee injury in the offseason program. NBC Sports said Mike McCarthy confirmed the activation. Ramsey, 31, was asked if he would be ready for the Sept. 13 opener against Atlanta. "When was that not the case?" he said. "I don't think the case was ever me not being ready for Week 1."

Patrick Queen called him "the Ol' 5" and said it was a quiet first day back. Ramsey made a couple of plays, got the defense fired up, and lined up at different spots, Queen told TribLive. New coordinator Patrick Graham has said he will move him around. The official 2026 depth chart lists Ramsey as the starting nickel and slot. He is an eight-time Pro Bowl player and three-time first-team All-Pro, traded from Miami in June 2025.

Jalen Ramsey injury: the knee, the PUP, the first practice

Pro Football Rumors put the knee at mandatory minicamp in June. He passed a physical and rejoined the team Monday. NBC Sports recapped last season: 17 starts, 88 tackles, eight passes defensed, one interception, 3.0 sacks. He opened 2025 outside and slid to safety when that room got thin. Graham wants the hybrid. Queen said the coaches have more planned than a first day in pads.

The preseason finale is Thursday night at Buffalo. McCarthy wanted two padded practices before that game, Steelers.com noted when the activation first leaked. Ramsey does not have to play Thursday to be a Week 1 player. He has 11 years of tape. The question was always the knee calendar, not the skill. He just took the PUP sticker off.

Porter Jr. is still out, and the 53-man clock

Joey Porter Jr. (back) and Donte Kent (knee) remain on PUP, TribLive listed. McCarthy has called the Porter situation an impasse, a contract problem stacked on a back. Graham said Saturday that installing a scheme without Ramsey and Porter is no different than a midweek trade. "Nobody really feels sorry for us," he said. Ramsey being back is the first of those two problems solved. Porter is not.

Cutdown is Sunday. A player off PUP counts like everyone else. Ramsey is not a bubble name. Nnamdi Madubuike's neck is the other AFC North injury still without a Week 1 answer. Ashton Jeanty's sprained ankle is the other camp PUP-adjacent story from this week. Ramsey's is the one that just started practicing. He said Week 1 was never the debate. The tape on Monday is the first evidence.

Jalen Ramsey injury FAQ

What is Jalen Ramsey's injury? A knee injury from the offseason program that kept him on the PUP list from the start of camp until Monday, per TribLive, NBC Sports, and Pro Football Rumors.

Did the Steelers activate Jalen Ramsey off PUP? Yes. He practiced Monday at UPMC Rooney. Queen said he made a couple of plays and moved around the defense.

Will Jalen Ramsey play Week 1? He said that was never in doubt. The opener is Sept. 13 against the Falcons. Porter Jr. and Kent are still on PUP. Thursday's Bills game is optional tape.