Steelers Now
UNITY TWP, Pa. — For the first time since 2021, DeShon Elliott is rejoining a group he’s familiar with. With last month’s contract extension ironed out, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety is happy his wandering days are over.
“I’d say it’s a blessing to be here and see y’all again in Latrobe,” Elliott said Saturday. “It’s really cool. As y’all know, I’ve been through a lot, lot of injuries, been a journeyman in this league, so God’s blessed me to be able to play here, bro. I appreciate Mike T, I appreciate everybody here.
“When I came back in the spring, I was like, ‘Wait, I’ve been here before. This is home.'”
Elliott began his NFL career as a sixth-round draft pick in 2018. After a fractured forearm entirely washed away his rookie season, he spent three more campaigns with the Baltimore Ravens. He signed with the Detroit Lions in 2022 and the Miami Dolphins in 2023. When he decided to wear black and gold last year, it was his fourth stop in as many seasons.
“I don’t like that,” Elliott said of the journeyman tag he gave himself. “People’s lives go the way it goes, bro. You know, there’s ups and downs. I (couldn’t) affect what was going on in my life at the time. I was just trying my best and it happened. Now I’m just somewhere I’m wanted, where I’m loved and I love them.”
During his first Steelers go-round, Elliott either set or matched career-highs with 108 combined tackles, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and an interception. He’ll be a key player in the Steelers’ resistance this season, especially with three-time first-team Associated Press All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick not in town anymore.
“Over the time, we’ll continue to communicate,” Elliott said. “We’ll get better and better and, eventually, it won’t just be me. It’ll be all the guys — the corners, nickels and the safety, whoever is out there with me.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Self-Described Journeyman DeShon Elliott: Steelers Are ‘Home’
