Although the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of new faces making an impact for them, one player who might not be getting enough recognition is DeShon Elliott. Since entering the league in 2018, Elliott has bounced around with a few different teams, but there’s a reason he continues to get a job. With the Steelers, Elliott has been a key piece of their elite defense. It seems even T.J. Watt was surprised by his physicality.
“He’s been huge, very physical,” Watt said Friday via the team’s website. “Just a guy that’s able to come down in the box and willing to hit, willing to blitz. I don’t know if I expected to this degree when he came in, but I’m more than happy to see how physical he is, and how much he likes the physicality.”
Elliott has not been shy at all when it comes to tackling. Even on the Steelers defense’s worst days this year, Elliott has still been a secure tackler. When he hits someone, they usually don’t go any farther. He might be a safety, but Elliott plays with the toughness of an edge rusher like Watt.
Unfortunately, the Steelers will be without Elliott Sunday. A hamstring injury has hampered him, and he’s going miss the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. His presence will be sorely missed as Elliott does so many little things that are difficult to replace.
This is a game where the Steelers will need as much physicality as they can find. The Eagles are a group of brutes, often setting the tone with their phenomenal running game. Saquon Barkley might break the NFL single-season rushing record, and that’s a credit to him and the Eagles’ offensive line. Stopping Barkley becomes much harder without Elliott.
The Eagles also have one of the NFL’s strongest wide receivers in A.J. Brown. It would be nice to have a battering ram like Elliott lurking in the secondary to help limit Brown.
Hopefully, Elliott can get healthy soon. The Steelers’ schedule doesn’t get any easier after the Eagles game. However, they’re going to want him for a potential postseason run, so it’s important to make sure he’s completely healthy. Hamstring injuries can linger, and there’s no need to jeopardize the rest of Elliott’s season. The Steelers will just have to make do without him.
