Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers reuniting in Pittsburgh hasn't been the only nostalgic element to the Steelers' offseason program.
A couple coaches who spent time with the Packers and are now working for the Black and Gold recently noted seeing a bit of Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson in defensive back Jalen Ramsey -- namely secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. and the head honcho.
"The way we used Charles Woodson in Green Bay, he played the star. He played corner. He played safety. He played the money. He did all of those things," Whitt said, via . "Charles could do it all in one game. He's one of the rare guys that can do it. Jalen has a similar skill set, similar size, similar speed. I'm just excited to see how we work with him and the way we use him."
Whitt was Green Bay's defensive quality control coach in 2008, then earned a promotion to cornerbacks coach, working closely with Woodson. McCarthy took over as Packers head coach in 2006, the same year the club signed Woodson in a move that would eventually prove to revitalize the defensive back.
Woodson endured a six-season gap between his fourth straight Pro Bowl to begin his career and his next one, which came during his age-32 season in 2008 and hinged on the Packers utilizing him in a variety of ways outside of being a boundary corner.
McCarthy agreed with Whitt's assessment, noting Woodson's game "went to a whole different level" when Green Bay moved him to nickel.
"I thought Jalen has the same ability," McCarthy said. "He's a special piece to our defense. He can play nickel, he can play corner, he can play dime and can also play safety. I'm really looking forward to working with him, but yeah, I can see exactly why Joe says that. That's an excellent comparison."
It's notable, then, that Ramsey is now the one entering his age-32 season. Similar to Woodson, he's taken on new defensive roles to make an impact.
Due to injuries elsewhere during his inaugural season with the Steelers in 2025, Ramsey played more snaps at safety than anywhere else for the first time in his 10-year career. He lined up at free safety on 462 plays and in the box for 186 snaps, compared to 367 in the slot and 165 at corner out wide, per PFF.
Ramsey made his eighth Pro Bowl while doing so. He had an interception, doubled his career sack total from three to six, and matched his career-high in tackles with 88.
He's unlikely to spend the majority of his time at safety again in 2026, nor is he expected to primarily be out wide. The Steelers signed safeties Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage to pair with DeShon Elliott. Joey Porter Jr. has one outside corner spot locked down, and the signing of CB Jamel Dean and drafting of third-rounder Daylen Everette also gives Pittsburgh depth there. Nickel is the assumed home for Ramsey. However, the coaching staff's comments suggest an openness to moving him wherever a mismatch might be, and the Steelers' offseason acquisitions make doing so possible without exposing themselves elsewhere.
Ramsey is a natural fit starting off lined up at nickel, closer to the line of scrimmage, where he can make use of his tackling talents. He's long been one of the NFL's most physical cornerbacks, having earned a PFF run defense grade of 81-plus in four of the past five seasons.
After spending most of his previous seasons lining up at the boundary, another season not doing so might take an adjustment for Ramsey, but he's entering an inflection point heading into the second decade of his career.
Most defensive backs don't string together a ton of standout performances well into their 30s. Woodson was unique in finding magic through a changed role. He made four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams and won Defensive Player of the Year from age 32-35.
Ramsey, three times an All-Pro but not since 2021, could be in prime position to follow those footsteps.
He possesses the experience and skill set, now combined with some of the main coach who played a part in Woodson's heroic second act.
"Charles is definitely one of the best, if not the best, ever to play the game," Ramsey said. "I want to be in the positions he was once in when playing, and then obviously ultimately be in the Hall of Fame one day like he was.
"So, yeah, he's definitely somebody I look up to. Knowing that I'm around the coaches who he was around in some of his best years is pretty cool."
