An injured Pittsburgh Steelers defender doesn’t anticipate remaining sidelined for long.
Safety DeShon Elliott, who left during the first half of the Steelers’ Week 1 victory over the New York Jets with a knee injury that was later revealed to be an MCL sprain, took to his Instagram story and stated that he’ll make his return “soon”.
“This [expletive] doesn’t stop. Be back soon,” he wrote.
Elliott, as expected, has been listed as a non-participant on Pittsburgh’s injury report leading up to its Week 2 home opener vs. the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium.
Earlier in the week, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported that Elliott is expected to miss several weeks with his injury and that the current goal is for him to be back active when the Steelers take on the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland during Week 4.
The 28-year-old finished with six tackles across 26 defensive reps and three special teams snaps against the Jets before departing with his ailment.
Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark served as Pittsburgh’s safety duo to close out the contest, and the organization signed veteran Jabrill Peppers as additional depth at the position in anticipation of Elliott’s absence.
Elliott took over as the top dog at safety for the Steelers after they traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith in the offseason, meaning his loss is a rather significant one.
A Baltimore Ravens sixth-round pick out of Texas in 2018, Elliott played the first four years of his career for the organization before spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Detroit Lions and Dolphins, respectively.
He signed a two-year deal worth $6 million with Pittsburgh ahead of the 2024 campaign and quickly became a key piece of its defense, starting 14 of the 15 games he appeared in while finishing second on the team in tackles with 108 while also recovering three fumbles.
Elliott was rewarded with a two-year extension worth $12.5 million in June, and the hope is that he can get back on the field in the near future.
