DeShon Elliott named ‘most underappreciated player’ on Pittsburgh Steelers

With the additions of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Patrick Queen, Steelers fans might’ve overlooked the signing of DeShon Elliott this offseason.

Elliott is the journeyman safety, a former Texas Longhorn All-American who arrived in the league in 2018 as a sixth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers signed him back in March, giving him a two-year, $6 million deal. He’s played for the Ravens, Lions and Dolphins. And now he’s a safety in the Pittsburgh secondary.

Could Elliott be most overlooked Pittsburgh player?

A writer with NFL.com said Steelers fans should pay more attention, calling Elliott the team’s most under-appreciated player. Gennaro Filice wrote of Elliott:

Now on a fourth team in Year 7 of his professional career, Elliott’s vagabond existence might lead some to question his reliability, but that’d be a mistake. While injuries did impact multiple seasons at Elliott’s first NFL stop in Baltimore, whenever the man played for the Ravens, he proved dependable. And over the past two seasons, he capably started 13 games for the Lions and 15 games for the Dolphins, providing the kind of rock-solid returns at defensive back that should never be overlooked in today’s pass-happy league. Elliott’s ability to seamlessly transition between teams and schemes is a testament to his versatility.

Boasting ample experience as a free safety, strong safety and nickelback, Elliott wasn’t just blowing smoke when he offered this decidedly diplomatic statement in his introductory press conference with the Steelers: “With me being able to move around, it just gives them the flexibility to put me wherever they want me at. I mean, I’m open to playing wherever they want me and just being a part of this defense, so it doesn’t really matter to me. I want to be productive in this defense by any way possible that I can.” With Minkah Fitzpatrick in place as one of the league’s best center fielders, Elliott figures to spend plenty of time in the box, where he’s a force player with violent hitting ability.

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick welcomes Elliott addition

Because of injuries, the Steelers had a huge issue at safety. They even moved Patrick Peterson to the position as a stop-gap plan. Minkah Fitzpatrick missed seven games last year, including the final three of the regular season. So Elliott can play strong safety and free up a now healthy Fitzpatrick to be free safety.

When Elliott signed with the Steelers back in March, he said: “I’m open to whoever they want me to be a part of the defense and be productive and by any way possible that I can.”

The Steelers released Peterson rather than pay him a $3 million roster bonus. They also waived strong safety Keanu Neal after he failed his physical at the end of the 2023 season.

Mike Tomlin discussed the signing of Elliott earlier this spring:

“Again, we have familiarity with DeShon and just got a lot of respect for how he plays the game, the toughness component. We felt like he would be a good asset in addition to our secondary. Good tackler, good communicator. There’s a lot that’s attractive about him and we’re excited to get to work with him.”