The Pittsburgh Steelers had just three safeties on their first 53-man roster at the NFL’s cut deadline. Veteran starter DeShon Elliott wasn’t one of them.
Elliott is returning from a season-ending knee injury he suffered during Week 8 last year. Unfortunately, the Steelers didn’t find the safety making enough progress to feel confident about him on the active roster.
So, the Steelers placed Elliott on injured reserve. The safety is designated to return, but he will now miss the first four weeks of the 2026 regular season.
Elliott is entering his third season with the Steelers. When he played a full season with the team during 2024, he posted 108 combined tackles with six pass defenses and one interception.
Last season, Elliott had 38 combined tackles, one sack and one interception.
Over two seasons, the safety has started 19 of 20 contests for the Steelers.
With Elliott out the first month of the regular season, he won’t be available to play against the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.
In addition to Elliott, the Steelers also placed fellow defensive back Donte Kent and offensive tackle Jack Driscoll on injured reserve Sunday.
Steelers Place DeShon Elliott on Injured Reserve
The Steelers received good news on the cornerback Joey Porter Jr. front Sunday evening. With the team’s roster cuts, the Steelers activated Porter from the PUP list. More than likely, that means, new contract or not, Porter will be ready for Week 1.
Elliott, though, will not, which is surprising. Before Week 2 of the preseason, Elliott told reporters he was “fully healthy.” The safety also played in the preseason.
But with the placement on IR, the Steelers pretty clearly see Elliott needing more time.
Elliott was set to enter this season as the team’s top safety. The Steelers will definitely feel his absence, especially with their thin safety room.
Fellow veterans Jaquan Brisker and Rayshawn Jenkins will have to work together to replace Elliott. The Steelers also have exciting rookie Robert Spears-Jennings in their back end of their secondary. However, he’s a seventh-round rookie, so it might be best for the team to ease him into high pressure situations.
Elliott has posted 433 combined tackles with 25 pass defenses, six forced fumbles and five interceptions in 77 NFL games. In addition to the Steelers, he played three years for the Baltimore Ravens and a season each for the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.
Donte Kent, Jack Driscoll Also Land on IR
Elliott won’t be the team’s only player on injured reserve to begin the regular season. Like the safety, Kent and Driscoll won’t play in the first four games this fall.
The Steelers selected Kent at No. 229 overall in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is dealing with a foot injury.
The team signed Driscoll to the practice squad in late October last year. He could be key depth at tackle after he returns.
Both Kent and Driscoll have yet to play for the Steelers. Kent has never appeared in the NFL regular season. Driscoll played 67 games for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2020-24.
Steelers Give Bad Injury Update on Safety DeShon Elliott