Pittsburgh Steelers S DeShon Elliott had arguably his best NFL season in 2024. He posted his first 100-plus tackle season to go along with four tackles for loss (second-best in his career), one interception and three recovered fumbles.<\/p>\n
The interception came in his Steelers debut<\/a>, kickstarting a great season.<\/p>\n DeShon Elliott with the INT in his #Steelers<\/a> debut\u203c\ufe0f<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf2 Stream on NFL+: https:\/\/t.co\/COxKRnr6Mc<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/6ZtY8IsejS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 8, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n So understandably, the Steelers (and fans) were excited to see if Elliott would build on that season in 2025. He missed Weeks 2 and 3 due to an injury in the season opener. However, he had 38 total tackles, one sack, one interception, two passes knocked down and one forced fumble in five appearances.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury<\/a> in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. The question is, how well will he come back from that injury in 2026?<\/p>\n That\u2019s why beat writer Mark Kaboly thinks he\u2019s a defensive player under the microscope this season.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Elliott is a huge key, too, because you remember what he did two years ago,\u201d Kaboly said Friday on 93.7 The Fan\u2019s The PM Team<\/a>. \u201cHe makes a whole bunch of difference. Is he still the Elliott that they said, \u2018Okay, we don\u2019t need Minkah anymore\u2019 for? Or is he taking a step back because of that injury he had last year?\u201d<\/p>\n The Steelers knew they needed better safety play in 2026. Kyle Dugger went to the Cincinnati Bengals as the Steelers cut his playing time at the end of the season<\/a>. In total, four safeties who logged playing time for the Steelers in 2025 are gone.<\/p>\n They added two in free agency, Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage. They also drafted S Robert Jennings-Spears. However, a healthy and resurgent DeShon Elliott will be a big boost to the Steelers defense.<\/p>\n If Elliott isn\u2019t back to his 2024 form, it could negatively impact the rest of the secondary. Due to injuries (and some players not working out), Jalen Ramsey spent a lot of time at safety last year. If Elliott is healthy and playing well, new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham can move Ramsey around more.<\/p>\n If DeShon Elliott isn\u2019t playing well, then the Steelers might have to find more safety help mid-season, just as they did last year. Heck, The Athletic\u2019s Mike DeFabo thinks the Steelers could be looking to pick up a safety around cutdown days<\/a> regardless.<\/p>\n No matter what, plenty of eyes will be on DeShon Elliott come Week 1 to see how he\u2019s playing after that knee injury. If he\u2019s good to go, he could be a big part of the Steelers\u2019 defensive success in 2026.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n