Steelers Bring Back Veteran Safety 3 Weeks After Cutting Him

Getty Head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed veteran safety Jalen Elliott.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made another roster change ahead of their Week 1 preseason matchup with the Houston Texans. The Steelers announced on August 8 that they have signed veteran safety Jalen Elliott and released injured defensive back Nate Meadors.

Elliott spent the offseason with the Steelers, who are bringing back the safety roughly three weeks after releasing him. Pittsburgh cut Elliott on July 17 to make room on the roster for linebacker Tyler Matakevich.

Elliott spent much of the 2023 season on the Steelers practice squad. He last appeared in an NFL regular season game during 2021.

The Steelers departed with Meadors after he sustained a hamstring injury during practice on August 6. He didn’t practice the following day.

Meadors last played in an NFL regular season game during the 2020 season.

Steelers Replace Injured Nate Meadors With Jalen Elliott

This will be Elliott’s fourth tenure with the Steelers. Pittsburgh has actually signed Elliott to five different contracts over the past year.

He first joined the Steelers exactly one year ago on August 8, 2023. Elliott signed with the Steelers early in the preseason after the Las Vegas Raiders waived him on May 1 of last year.

Elliott didn’t make the Pittsburgh roster out of 2023 training camp. But the team brought him back on the practice squad on October 31. The Steelers released him on November 28 but then signed him to the practice squad again on December 19.

Pittsburgh then inked Elliott to a reserve/future contract on January 17.

Elliott began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent for the Detroit Lions in 2020. He didn’t dress as a rookie, but Elliott appeared in eight games, making one start, in 2021.

While playing 92 defensive snaps, he recorded 12 combined tackles. Elliott also lined up for 140 snaps on special teams.

Elliott will replace Meadors, who has had a similar career path in the NFL. The Steelers signed Meadors to a reserve/future contract on February 2. He spent a couple weeks on Pittsburgh’s practice squad at the end of the 2023 regular season.

Meadors also spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans in 2023.

Meadors began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent for the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. All of his career regular season action in the league has been for the Vikings. Meadors played in two games during his rookie season and then one contest in 2020.

Since then, he has had stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants in addition to the Titans, Browns and Steelers.

In three games, Meadors played 11 defensive snaps and 37 special teams snaps. He posted 2 combined tackles.

Steelers Safety Depth Heading Into 2024 Preseason

With the change at safety, the Steelers still have six healthy safeties for their first preseason game on August 9.

Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott are projected to start at the position. Damontae Kazee is also expected to see significant playing time as the team’s third safety as he did last year.

The Steelers have special teams ace Miles Killebrew and sixth-round rookie Ryan Watts for additional safety depth as well.

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on August 7 that Fitzpatrick is one of seven players who will not appear in Week 1 of the preseason. That will give other safeties more snaps.

Jalen Elliott will likely need those potential extra opportunities to earn even a practice squad spot with the Steelers.