Steelers Have 1 Defensive Player That Needs To Have More Important Impact Than TJ Watt

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 season will be one with more intrigue than any over the last couple of decades. With almost an entirely new coaching staff led by head coach Mike McCarthy, it is going to be interesting to see how much different things may be under him. Joining his staff was defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who came over following his tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders. With a considerably larger well of talent in Pittsburgh, expectations are high as McCarthy looks to vastly improve the defense in the Steel City. There is one key player that can help that turnaround on defense for the Black and Gold.

Edge rusher TJ Watt is entering a critical season in his career following an underwhelming 2025 campaign and an unfortunate injury. He will be joined again up front with fellow edge rushers Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, and Herbig’s 2025 play earned him an extension with the franchise this offseason. Pittsburgh should yet again have a dominant force up front on defense for 2026. 

Team insider Mark Kaboly recently appeared on 93.7 The Fan to discuss the upcoming season as training camp rapidly approaches for the Black and Gold. During his appearance, he was asked to name a member of the team that has a lot to prove in the 2026 not named Watt. His answer is a name that is exciting, but also comes with a key factor that gives cause to be cautious for the team.

“I think [DeShon] Elliott is a huge key, too, because remember what he did two years ago,” Kaboly said. “He makes a whole bunch of difference. Is he still the Elliott that they said ‘Okay, we don’t need Minkah [Fitzpatrick] anymore?’ Or, is he taking a step back because of that injury he had last year?”

DeShon Elliott did have an excellent 2024 NFL season with the team, but ultimately had his 2025 year cut short due to injury. The organization also did add help in the secondary in the form of cornerback Jamel Dean as well as safety Jaquan Brisker. As a unit, they finished 2025 with a 26th overall ranking in the NFL in total defense, as they allowed 356.9 yards per game. The area that particularly hurt this mark was the passing defense, as they finished 29th overall, allowing 243.9 yards per game on average.

Steelers Secondary Must Instantly Improve In 2026 Under Patrick Graham

The one area in which they were strong in the 2025 season was rushing defense, as the Black and Gold finished 13th in the league, allowing 113.1 yards per game. However, there were constant lapses in coverage in the secondary, which led to splash plays from other teams and contributed to the underwhelming passing defense and total defense numbers. 

Now Graham has big pressure on him to turn that around in his first year of his tenure with the organization. Elliott can be a big driving force in turning things around in a secondary that was not only revamped, but could also use his impact big time in 2026. After five NFL seasons, he joined the team in 2024 and made an instant impact in the secondary. 

Across his 14 games started that season, he had an interception as well as three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in his first year in the Steel City. Should he be able to stay healthy, he could return to that 2024 form and make Minkah Fitzpatrick forgotten in the Black and Gold as Kaboly mentioned.

While an improved season from Watt would be a great sight to see in the 2026 season, the biggest issues on defense came in the secondary in 2025. For that to improve, Elliott's health and impact on the field could be the driving force behind a huge improvement in that department for Pittsburgh. While expectations are high on Graham, the health of their veteran safety can go a long way to help him meet those expectations in 2026.

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