Steelers Receive Good News Before Week 7 Game Against Bengals

Amid some uncertainty, a key Pittsburgh Steelers starter is expected to suit up on Thursday night.

DeShon Elliott did not travel with the team to Cincinnati on Wednesday and was listed as questionable for the Week 7 game against the Bengals due to personal reasons. The Steelers no longer have to prepare to face their division rival without the starting safety, as ESPN’s Brooke Pryor and others reported Thursday afternoon that Elliott arrived and will play.

Elliott missed two games earlier this season after injuring his knee in Pittsburgh’s Week 1 win over the New York Jets. The 28-year-old registered an interception, a sack, a forced fumble and two pass breakups in a dominant Week 4 return in Dublin.

For an encore, Elliott tallied 12 tackles in last Sunday’s 23-9 win over the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers have allowed 135 combined rushing yards in back-to-back victories following the hard-hitting safety’s return.

Elliott can help the Steelers lock down a Bengals offense that comfortably ranks last in rushing. They’ll also need him to help keep star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in check at Paycor Stadium.

On the other hand, Cincinnati’s defense received a debilitating blow. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson is expected to miss Thursday’s game with a hip injury.

The four-time Pro Bowler tallied 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons before signing a revised deal to end an offseason contract standoff. Hendrickson has four sacks and 12 pressures through six games, but he left last Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers early.

Defense remains a sore spot for the Bengals, who have allowed the NFL’s second-most yards and third-most points entering the crucial AFC North showcase. Losing Hendrickson makes the unit even more vulnerable against Aaron Rodgers and Co.

Thursday night’s game between the Steelers and Bengals kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

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