The Pittsburgh Steelers placed S DeShon Elliott on the Reserve/Injured list with a designation to return, according to a press release from the team at the 53-man roster deadline Sunday evening.
The Steelers have placed S DeShon Elliott and OL Jack Driscoll on the Reserve/Injured list as designated to return #Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) August 30, 2026
The veteran safety suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8 last season. While he stated that he was 100-percent healthy and even participated in a preseason game, he is now on IR and required to miss at least the first four games of the 2026 season.
Elliott will not be eligible to play against the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, or Cleveland Browns, but could play against the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 11 if all goes well with his recovery.
It’s unclear at this time if this is directly related to his previously-injured knee, or if a new injury occurred at a recent practice.
Elliott played 20 total snaps in the Steelers’ second preseason game against the New York Jets and looked great, making four total tackles and forcing a fumble on his way to an “elite” 93.6 Pro Football Focus grade. After that game, head coach Mike McCarthy said Elliott was “feeling it a bit” and would miss the next practice.
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, he did return to practice on Aug. 25 after Monday off.
He did not participate in the final preseason game on Thursday, but most veterans also sat out the game with a focus on the younger players.
With Elliott out, the Steelers will need to lean on veteran S Rayshawn Jenkins, who joined the team late in the process. Rookie seventh-rounder Robert Spears-Jennings may also get some meaningful playing time alongside Jaquan Brisker, though Brisker has also been dealing with an injury for the last few weeks.
The Steelers could be forced to scour the waiver wire at safety. Notably, former AFC North standout Geno Stone was just released by the Buffalo Bills and could be an intriguing option.