The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to place starting SS DeShon Elliott on injured reserve after he suffered a severe knee injury during Week 8’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on X. Elliott was lost in the second half of Sunday night’s game, his leg awkwardly bent under the weight of TE Tucker Kraft at the end of his 59-yard catch.
This report is coming on the heels of a separate report that Pittsburgh is trading for S Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots.
https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1983318840315654601
Monday night, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted Elliott was likely to miss the rest of the season due to the injury. He avoided an ACL tear, but the seriousness of the injury is unlikely to allow him to return over the next 2.5 months. Mike Tomlin gave an update on Elliott during his Tuesday press conference and labeled him week-to-week with a potentially less serious outlook than reports indicated.
Being placed on injured reserve today does not automatically rule him out for the rest of the season. But it seems unlikely he’ll return to practice this year, let alone be activated and retake the field.
Here’s a look at the play Elliott was injured on. Assisted off the field, he was carted to the locker room with the NBC broadcast reporting Elliott was emotional while being examined.
Elliott was the second Steeler to suffer a severe knee injury against the Packers. Backup NT Daniel Ekuale tore his ACL in the loss. He will miss the rest of 2025. It ends a streak of fortunate health for Pittsburgh’s defense that they enjoyed over the past few weeks. Offensive guard Isaac Seumalo also suffered a pec strain.
Before the injury, Elliott recorded five tackles. It’s the second knee injury he’s suffered this season. He sat out Weeks 2-3 due to a sprained MCL suffered in Week 1 versus the New York Jets. He returned for the Week 4 Ireland game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Per our charting, the Packers averaged just 2.4 YPC and a 40-percent run success rate before Elliott’s injury. After he exited, Green Bay averaged 4.4 YPC and a 70.6-percent run success rate. Pittsburgh’s defense will now look to rebound against the top-rated Indianapolis Colts’ offense in Week 9.
For the year, Elliott tallied 38 tackles with one interception. He also registered three QB hits, one sack, and a forced fumble. Inked to an extension before the year began, Elliott is signed through 2027.
Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark are the Steelers’ current pair of starting safeties. Jabrill Peppers saw extra reps following Elliott’s injury. Pittsburgh has S Jack Henderson on the practice squad after rookie Sebastian Castro was poached by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this season.
