The Pittsburgh Steelers set a high standard for themselves on defense. However, not only have they fallen short of that bar this season, but they’ve been one of the worst defenses in the league. There’s not much that the Steelers’ defense has done right, especially in recent weeks. Currently, it’s ranked 30th in the league. While it can’t fall much further, former NFL tight end Delanie Walker believes S DeShon Elliott’s injury will be a significant blow to the Steelers.
“It’s going to get worse on the back end of the Steelers, too,” Walker said recently on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast. “They’re missing Elliott. He makes most of the calls for the DBs in the back as a strong safety. That’s a key factor on that defense.”
Elliott has been in the league since 2018, entering it as a sixth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens. He joined the Steelers last year, and he has been a solid addition to their defense. Elliott was arguably the Steelers’ best tackler in 2024, being a consistent presence for them.
Unfortunately, 2025 has been less successful for him. He suffered an injury in Week 1 that forced him to be out until Week 4. Now, after only being back for a few games, Elliott is set to miss at least four more games after suffering a knee injury in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. At the time, it didn’t look good. While Elliott seems to have avoided the worst-case scenario, he still landed on injured reserve.
That leaves the Steelers with a gaping hole in their secondary. That group was already struggling, too. The Steelers have the worst statistical pass defense in the league. Therefore, it can’t get ranked any lower. However, that doesn’t mean things can’t get worse. The Steelers don’t have many great options to replace Elliott.
They just traded for New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger. However, he still looks like a downgrade from Elliott. Dugger hadn’t been a major contributor for the Patriots this season, and he might not be ready to go Sunday against the high-flying Colts.
That leaves Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers as potential Elliott replacements. Neither has been great for the Steelers, either. However, what the Steelers might miss most from Elliott is his leadership. He’s very vocal, and he’s one of their main communicators. The Steelers’ defense was already struggling with miscommunication. Without Elliott, that problem could get worse.
The Colts have the best offense in the league so the Steelers’ defense is going to get tested. We’ll see if it can hold up without Elliott. If it gets worse, then the Steelers might need to start thinking outside the box for ways to improve that unit.
