The Pittsburgh Steelers may have suffered a significant injury on the backend of its defense, as starting safety DeShon Elliott was carted into the locker room during the second half of Sunday night’s game against the Packers.
The injury occurred midway through the third quarter when Elliott’s right knee got twisted up with Tucker Kraft as Elliott was helping bringing down the Packers’ tight end. Elliott was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury.
Per the NBC broadcast, Elliott was yelling and appeared to be in considerable pain as he exited the field and into the Steelers’ locker room.
The 28-year-old Elliott is a major component of Pittsburgh’s defense. A seven-year veteran, Elliott played so well last year — his first with the Steelers — that Pittsburgh inked him to a contract extension this past offseason. Last year, Elliott set career-highs with 108 tackles and three fumble recoveries while helping Pittsburgh clinch a playoff berth.
This year, Elliott has had an even bigger impact on Pittsburgh’s secondary given the trade of fellow safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in exchange for fellow defensive back Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. He missed two games earlier this year due to injury but had 21 tackles in Pittsburgh’s last two games.
Along with his productivity, Elliott is also Pittsburgh’s chief communicator on the backend of the defense. That was surely one of the main reasons why the Steelers prioritized Elliott’s contract extension this past offseason.
Elliott’s absence would be critical to a Steelers’ defense that has been inconsistent during the first half of the 2025 season. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan makes some calls prior to the Nov. 4 trade deadline as it relates to possibly adding reinforcements in the secondary.
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