An already-banged up Pittsburgh Steelers safety group will be down another member when the team takes on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9.
A day after popping up as a surprise entrant on the Steelers‘ injury report with a quadricep injury, which rendered him a limited participant, Jabrill Peppers was not on the practice field at all to close out the week.
As a result, he was listed as out against the Colts at Acrisure Stadium.
Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Deshon Elliott (25) reacts as he takes the field against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
DeShon Elliott was placed on the reserve/injured list this week with a knee injury he suffered vs. the Green Bay Packers during Week 8, meaning he’ll miss the next four games at an absolute minimum and won’t be eligible to be activated until Week 13 at the earliest.
Elliott is the top dog among Pittsburgh’s safeties, and his absence will continue to be felt for as long as he’s sidelined.
Kyle Dugger, who the Steelers acquired from the New England Patriots via trade earlier this week, has also battling through a knee injury. He’s been a full participant since arriving to Pittsburgh, though, and did not receive a game designation.
After Elliott sustained his first injury of the season vs. the New York Jets in Week 1, which was eventually diagnosed as an MCL sprain, the Steelers quickly signed Peppers after he had been let go by the New England Patriots at final roster cuts.
Peppers logged 43 defensive snaps vs. the Patriots in Week 3, but he was on the field for only 10 reps on that side of the ball through Week 7, according to Pro Football Focus. When Pittsburgh took on the Packers last week, however, he recorded 13 snaps on defense once Elliott went down.
All in all, Peppers has recorded eight tackles and a fumble recovery across six contests as a member of the Steelers up to this point.
Aug 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Chuck Clark (21) reacts during player introductions against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
With Elliott and Peppers out, the Steelers could have just three safeties active against a potent Colts offense that leads the league in yards (385.3) and points (33.8) per game.
Dugger was a versatile chess piece for New England’s defense during his five seasons there, so Pittsburgh could get creative in how it uses him. With that being said, though, he’s primarily played in the box and at free safety over the past handful of years and is entering his first game in a new system.
Chuck Clark and Juan Thornhill could also play huge roles for Pittsburgh. Clark emerged as Pittsburgh’s top option next to Elliott at free safety over the last two weeks, playing a total of 102 defensive snaps over that stretch.
As for Thornhill, he has seen the field for 63 percent of the team’s defensive reps on the year, per Pro Football Reference, so the team should feel somewhat comfortable with him on the field at an increased rate this week if it comes down to it.