Jordan Schultz is reporting that Pittsburgh Steelers S DeShon Elliott is expected to miss only a couple weeks with the knee injury suffered in Week 1 against the New York Jets.
“Sources: Steelers S DeShon Elliott is expected to miss a couple weeks with an MCL sprain. All things considered, it’s not viewed as serious injury,” Schultz wrote. “The goal is to be back for Week 4 vs the Vikings in Ireland. In the meantime, Pittsburgh has signed Jabrill Peppers.”
Sources: #Steelers S DeShon Elliott is expected to miss a couple of weeks with an MCL sprain. All things considered, it’s not viewed as a serious injury.
The goal is to be back for Week 4 vs the Vikings in Ireland. In the meantime, Pittsburgh has signed Jabrill Peppers. pic.twitter.com/ctPS7efV5F
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 9, 2025
The video replay did not look great as Elliott cleat got stuck in MetLife Stadium’s notorious turf and his knee bent awkwardly, but he seems to have avoided a worst-case scenario. He managed to walk off the field on his own power and didn’t head to the locker room right away, which was a good sign that it wasn’t a full tear or something more serious.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo confirms this and adds he might even be considered day to day.
Even though the Steelers added depth/ versatility to their secondary in Jabrill Peppers, it’s worth noting that DeShon Elliott’s injury is NOT considered long-term.
He’ll be week-to-week at the most, could even be day-to-day, per league source.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) September 9, 2025
Prior to his injury, Elliott had six total tackles and he exited pretty early with 6:27 remaining in the second quarter.
The Steelers extended Elliott’s contract this offseason and traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins. He is the clear top option at one of the thinnest position groups on their roster. Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark played extensively in his absence. To supplement that room, the Steelers are reportedly signing S Jabrill Peppers.
Complicating matters further in the secondary is the fact that CB Joey Porter Jr.’s status is currently unclear. The Steelers held him out of the end of Week 1 with tightness in his hamstring. Mike Tomlin made it sound like a precaution, but soft-tissue injuries can be tricky. Normally Jalen Ramsey would be able to help fill in at safety, but that becomes more difficult if Porter isn’t on the field and they are down a man at outside corner.
Tomlin should give injury updates in the next hour for his weekly Tuesday press conference.
If he is only expected to miss a couple weeks, it stands to reason that Elliott suffered a Grade 1 MCL injury, which is just slight stretching of the ligament and small fiber tears. He might have to wear a brace when he returns, but there is plenty of precedent for players returning in just a couple weeks.