The week started with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy saying he believes safety DeShon Elliott “is getting close” to returning. He then started practicing with the team. But despite those positive developments, Elliott will remain on the Reserve/Injured, Designated for Return List, as per the organization on Thursday afternoon.
DeShon Elliott is Expected to Miss Another Game Despite Earlier Positive Updates
And while Pittsburgh has a 21-day window to either activate Elliott or he will be forced to miss the rest of the season, the fact there’s still no exact timetable for when the Steelers expect him back on the field is concerning.
Elliott was initially placed on the Reserve/Injured List on Aug. 30.
Elliott Has Missed Every Game So Far
Out with a severe hamstring tear and hyperextended knee, the Steelers placed Elliott on injured reserve at the start of the season, forcing him to at least miss the team’s first four games. But Elliott, 29, is now eligible to be activated in Week 5, granted it sounds as if he still needs more time to recover.
The Steelers will have to continue to try to patch up a secondary that has Jalen Ramsey dealing with a broken wrist and Brandin Echols just getting out of concussion protocol.
Steelers Need All the Secondary Help They Can Get
Right on the heels of learning about Porter’s trade to the Cowboys, the Steelers’ let Deshaun Watson to complete 24-of-33 passes and throw for 268 yards as the Cleveland Browns beat Pittsburgh 27-24 on Thursday Night Football.
Overall, the Steelers’ defense ranks in the middle of the pack at 13th as a group in the NFL, having allowed 322.2 yards per game so far.
A sixth-round pick of the rival Baltimore Ravens in 2018, Elliott, a consensus All-American out of the University of Texas, has recorded 433 tackles, forced six fumbles and recovered five in 77 games and 69 starts across seven healthy seasons out of his eight years in the league. He made a career-high 108 combined tackle in his first season in Pittsburgh in 2024, but was only able to register 38 in five games last year.
The Steelers look to respond from their loss to the Browns when they host the Indianapolis Colts at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 11.
Latest Steelers News Fuels Uncertainty for DeShon Elliott’s Status