Steelers To Place Pair Of Defensive Backs On PUP List To Begin Training Camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers will place a pair of players on the Active/PUP list, general manager Omar Khan told reporters on Tuesday as the team reported to training camp. Per Khan, cornerback Donte Kent (knee) and defensive back Jalen Ramsey (knee) will begin on Active/PUP for Wednesday’s first practice.

Kent is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last December while Ramsey hurt his knee in the spring, per Khan. Khan said that Ramsey’s knee injury won’t require surgery. Both players can be activated at any time and still count against the 91-man roster. This also keeps open the possibility of either player reverting to Reserve/PUP to begin the regular season.

“I would anticipate Donte Kent starting on PUP,” Khan told reporters via the team’s YouTube channel. “Jalen Ramsey will also start on PUP. Jalen had an injury he suffered during the minicamp; he’s recovering.”

Offensive tackle Broderick Jones, long speculated as a PUP candidate, will avoid Active/PUP. As will DL Sebastian Joseph-Day, who, according to reporters, was nicked up late in the spring.

“We’re going to be smart about it. He’s a pro. You guys know how hard he works,” Khan said of Ramsey via the team’s YouTube channel. “It’s going to be a couple weeks. This isn’t something where we anticipate him not being ready for the season.”

UPDATE (10:34 AM): The Steelers have officially placed Kent and Ramsey on the Active/PUP list.

A seventh-round pick from Central Michigan, Kent’s first NFL season hardly got off the ground. He suffered a right ankle injury early in 2025 training camp, leaving him in a boot for multiple weeks. He did not appear in any of the team’s three preseason games.

Pittsburgh placed him on injured reserve to begin the season. The Steelers opened his return window in December, but Kent tore his ACL in his first practice back and sat out the rest of the season. That made for a lengthy rehab and recovery, and it’s no surprise Kent hasn’t been cleared to return.

Roughly eight months removed from his knee injury, Kent will hopefully receive full clearance this summer and see the field before Aug. 30th’s cutdowns. Even if he does, Kent has an awfully tough path to making even the practice squad, much less the 53-man roster. Pittsburgh has plenty of cornerback depth with healthy options like D’Shawn Jamison, Tamon Lynum, and others practicing daily in their bid to stick.

Kent’s last action came during his 2024 season at Central Michigan, where he recorded 33 tackles and nine pass breakups. He also returned a punt for a touchdown.

Kent can be activated off Active/PUP at any time. Placing him on this list does not open a spot on the team’s roster. If he doesn’t receive medical clearance by roster cutdowns, the Steelers can move him to Reserve/PUP. That would knock him out of at least the first four games of 2026.

Ramsey can be activated off Active/PUP at any point. In his absence, Brandin Echols could see more time in the slot while Jaquan Brisker and DeShon Elliott will likely be the starting pair at safety. Ramsey is expected to play corner and safety and serve as a versatile chess piece under new DC Patrick Graham.

Khan expressed confidence in the team’s depth and secondary as a whole, highlighting CB Jamel Dean, S Darnell Savage, and Echols.