The Pittsburgh Steelers made headlines on the first day of free agency when they signed former Baltimore Ravens LB Patrick Queen to a three-year deal. But Queen’s former teammate, DeShon Elliott, has been a big pickup for the Steelers as well.
Elliott is on his fourth team in four years. But he found a home in the Steelers’ defensive backfield. He’s already had one interception, tying his career-high, while amassing 51 total tackles, one fumble recovery, and two tackles for a loss. And he’s left an impression on his teammates, too.
“I think one of the huge additions, I mean we’ve had Patrick Queen, Donte Jackson, DeShon Elliott has been playing phenomenal football for us,” said T.J. Watt in an interview with Sports Seriously for USA Today Sports. “A guy that’s a safety that can come down and play that aggressive and tackle and allow Minkah to stay in the center field and make plays in the back end is huge.”
The Steelers certainly wanted a safety that would allow S Minkah Fitzpatrick to play deep this year. Per Pro Football Focus, Fitzpatrick took 270 snaps as a free safety in 2023. He took 157 snaps playing in the box. That’s not a recipe for making big plays as a safety, and Fitzpatrick did not record an interception in 2023. In every other season, Fitzpatrick had at least two interceptions.
Fitzpatrick hasn’t grabbed an interception in 2024 yet. But he’s already logged 370 snaps at the free safety position this season. He’s only taken 37 snaps in the box as well. So he will have his opportunities for takeaways as the season progresses.
The Steelers have put Fitzpatrick back in his center-field role thanks to DeShon Elliott’s presence. And Elliott has certainly made an impact in his own right, too. Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden has seen the impact he’s made, calling him his “favorite Steeler to watch”. And if you’re a fan of defense, chances are you’re enjoying watching Elliott play, too.
#Steelers S DeShon Elliott has been quite the addition to the Black and Gold.
Smart player, strong communicator, sure tackler.
Knows what’s coming, calls it out and triggers downhill to make the TFL. pic.twitter.com/QDw8791oxG
— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) October 22, 2024
The Steelers defense is crowded with superstars like Watt, Fitzpatrick, and Heyward. But DeShon Elliott is making a name for himself in 2024, too. Hopefully, for his sake and the Steelers, he continues to make a big impact.
