Is DeShon Elliott Minkah Fitzpatrick’s new long-term starting partner at safety?
For most of his career, Minkah Fitzpatrick played next to Terrell Edmunds, and the two worked well together. He repeatedly advocated for the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign Edmunds to a long-term deal, but they kept looking in other directions. At least, they did so relative to cost—at least in 2023. Edmunds is playing under a Veteran Salary Benefit deal in Jacksonville, and they gave DeShon Elliott $3 million per year.
One hopes this indicates that the Steelers believe they can pair Elliott with Fitzpatrick for the long haul. Granted, neither of them is incredibly young, both 27, with Fitzpatrick closer to 28. But stability is never a bad thing, which is what Ryan Clark provided for Troy Polamalu, though certainly not all.
Last year, after parting with Edmunds, the Steelers tried a combination of Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal with Minkah Fitzpatrick. Given the injuries at the position, it’s hard to say it failed since it didn’t get a fair shake. But there’s a reason they released Neal and signed Elliott in free agency.
Elliott has 50 career starts in five seasons, with 287 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions. He has been a full-time starter consistently since his second year in the league, despite playing in three different places. Just last year, he logged over 900 snaps in 15 games. Like Fitzpatrick, he rarely comes off the field except due to injury.
Marginally so, Elliott is a more reliable full-time starting option than Kazee and Neal. Still, we can’t say much about Minkah Fitzpatrick playing without a steady long-term partner given his injuries. One might reasonably assume that a steady presence next to him, however, will put him in more consistent playmaking opportunities. Can Elliott be that guy—perhaps the last partner he has in his career?
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wild Card Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
