The Pittsburgh Steelers are now busy working at practice and planning for their Week 1 matchup of the 2026 NFL season as they take on the Atlanta Falcons. Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his staff recently released their initial 53-man roster as he gets ready to coach his first season for his hometown team to add to his NFL tenure. With his offensive-minded history as a coach, reuniting with quarterback Aaron Rodgers has the potential to bring some excitement on offense. However, one question recently came up about the defense.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers (8) during 2026 training camp as Head Coach Mike McCarthy looks on in Latrobe, PA.
When the initial roster came out, one player was not on that roster. Safety DeShon Elliott, who missed significant playing time in the 2025 season, was placed on injured reserve ahead of the regular season. The move of putting him on injured reserve means that he will not be eligible to return to the field until after Week 4.
This move may not look too serious on the surface, but there is one thing to note surrounding the situation. On Tuesday's episode of Steelers Collective, team insider Ray Fittipaldo was asked about the injury designation for the Black and Gold safety. His comments on the injury news reveal a hidden concern in the timing of the injury.
“I mean basically it’s a six-week injury,” Fittipaldo said. “Right? Because from the time they put him on IR is two weeks until the season and he has to miss four games. If it’s just being cautious, you’re being cautious for six weeks. To me that sends up some alarm bells.”
Mark Kaboly, who also joined Fittipaldo Tuesday, mentioned in a social media post that things were not adding up as this announcement seemingly came out of the blue. The injury to the safety in 2025 was serious, but what makes the situation particularly odd is that Elliott deemed himself healthy, despite the fact that he was limited throughout a good portion of training camp. With the announcement of his injured reserve stint coming two weeks before the start of the season, Fittipaldo's math of it being essentially a six-week injury adds up.
Steelers Are Exercising Caution Before Activating Elliott
The 2025 injury-shortened season for Elliott was a massive blow not just to his season personally, but for the Steelers' defense as a whole. When he is on the field, the secondary looks much better given his high level of play. With just five starts in five games in 2025, the safety had an interception to go along with a sack and two passes defended. That type of production in limited playing time just gives a glimpse into the type of difference-maker he can be for the secondary when healthy.
While this comes as a huge setback to the secondary, new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will need to look to get more out of the players he has healthy until Elliott is deemed ready to return to the field. It's important that the Steelers don't rush him back, as exercising caution with his injury can pay big dividends for when he feels he is ready to get back to playing alongside his teammates. The secondary is one that allowed 243.9 yards per game during the 2025 season that had them ranked 29th in the NFL in passing defense.
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Steelers' DeShon Elliott during a Week 4 game against the Minnesota Vikings during the 2025 season.
With a new defensive coordinator for the 2026 season, as well as the additions of safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Jamel Dean, only time will tell as to whether or not the injury to the Pittsburgh safety has a huge impact on their performance. If they are able to weather the storm without Elliott, being cautious about his return to the field is in the best interest of the long-term status of the secondary in the Steel City. While the context surrounding the injury shows signs for concern, it is extremely important to tread lightly in this situation when Week 5 approaches.
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