Insider Gives Concerning Injury Update On Steelers Safety DeShon Elliott

The Pittsburgh Steelers could be without star safety DeShon Elliott for the rest of the season, according to one NFL insider.

Elliott suffered a hyperextended knee in the Steelers’ 35-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. He was carted off the field and was put on injured reserve. Elliott is week-to-week, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, but ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that Elliott could be out for the year.

“The Steelers are calling safety DeShon Elliott (hyperextended knee) week-to-week, but people I’ve talked to are not optimistic that he can return this season,” Fowler wrote in a piece published on Oct. 29. “The team is placing him on injured reserve and just added Dugger at safety. Beyond the knee, Elliott was being examined for potential hamstring damage, as well.”

If Elliott is indeed done for the season, it would be a blow to the Steelers’ defense. However, Pittsburgh did address its safety issue by acquiring Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots.

Dugger will have big shoes to fill, as Elliott was a key member of the Steelers’ defense, according to Tomlin.

“He’s a significant component of what we do, particularly relative to some of the things that Indy does well,” Tomlin said of Elliott on Tuesday. “He is a central figure in our secondary in terms of run defense for example. He covers tight ends oftentimes in passing circumstances. And so certainly we have some adapting to do in terms of how we divide the labor up this week. But that’s always the case when you lose someone, particularly someone significant; it’s not a one-person job, it’s a multi-person job.”

The Steelers are set to host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Week 9.

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