New Update Suggests Steelers Believe That Important Defender Is Not Lost For The Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense had a phenomenal performance in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts' dominant offense. It was a very good sign for Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin's group after it faced a lot of scrutiny. Consistency for the unit will be key, as it will be imperative to continue to perform at a high level. The collective has had to work through some injuries, specifically in the secondary. This triggered General Manager Omar Khan to make a spontaneous trade that landed Kyle Dugger in the Steel City from the New England Patriots.

The defense took a major hit when DeShon Elliott suffered his second knee injury of the season in Week 8. He was a crucial part of the operation, and his presence in the backend allowed Jalen Ramsey to get creative and move around. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Elliott was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) without much positivity surrounding his situation.

Team insider Gerry Dulac is very familiar with what goes on behind closed doors in Pittsburgh's building and the veteran reporter hosted one of his weekly chats on Wednesday. When asked about Elliott's ability to return in 2025, which has been already labeled as not very likely, Dulac had a positive spin on the situation. He suggested that the Steelers believe that the safety could be back on the field.

"I think the Steelers believe he can come back," Dulac wrote. "But sometimes players get second opinions from their own people and maybe their outlook isn't as positive. So not sure."

There is certainly some confusion when it comes to Elliott's injury. If he were to have torn a major ligament, or multiple, that would have been reported on already. The fact that the team has a feeling that he could return is not just good news for the 2025 season, but the 2026 campaign as well. He is set to be a free agent once the 2027 offseason comes, but it appears as if he will definitely be good to go sooner rather than later.

Fans can expect some more information to come out about Elliott in the coming weeks, but with his status as a member of IR, nothing too concrete will come out until the team and any medical personnel involved know exactly what is going on with the safety.

For the foreseeable future, however, Ramsey and Dugger are expected to act as the starting safeties. If the Steelers are able to get Elliott back for the very end of the season, or potentially the playoffs, it would be looked at as an extremely positive development, regardless of how the new duo performs. Elliott is known for his ability to stop the run, which is something Dugger also excels at. The possibility of using both of them in December or January is a very attractive scenario.

Steelers Need To Find Some More Consistency On Defensive Side Of The Ball

Pittsburgh took a step forward against the Colts when it came to making it extremely hard for the Indianapolis offense. It's not smart to immediately declare that the defense is completely fixed in the Steel City, but it is trending in the right direction. 

Ramsey and Dugger will be two key players down the stretch, but Steelers fans will continue to hope that Elliott gets some good news as the team does what it can to win the AFC North for the first time since the 2020 season.

Do you think that the Steelers are going to get Elliott back at some point during the 2025 season? Let us know in the comments below!

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