Steelers Now
UNITY TWP., Pa. — Aaron Rodgers is still settling in at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Even for a 21-year NFL veteran, an adjustment period is to be expected as he works through the stay at St. Vincent College — second-guessing a read, a handful of incompletions and an interception here and there.
DeShon Elliott and the Steelers’ secondary aren’t making things any easier on the future Pro Football Hall of Famer. As of right now, that unit is “decent, we’re not there yet,” Elliott said after Saturday’s practice.
That might be a humble report. Rodgers appears to be having a so-so go of it, yet it could very well be that the defense he’s tasked with picking apart every afternoon is up to the challenge.
“I think we can be a top-5 defense in this league, maybe even No. 1 if we do the right things consistently,” Elliott said after Saturday’s practice at St. Vincent College.
That’s more like it.
During a team session of the practice, Rodgers left a pass hanging in front of Jonnu Smith, running a corner route, and Jalen Ramsey stepped in front of it for an interception. Earlier in the day, Ramsey closely shadowed DK Metcalf on a post route overthrown by Rodgers. A lurking Elliott made Rodgers think twice before letting it go.
Elliott praised defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander’s intense, but intelligent, approach with the unit. Elliott credited Alexander with elevating his game, adding that he wasn’t able to make a play on a post pattern like that before in his career.
Two plays after Ramsey’s pick, following what could’ve been a Payton Wilson sack, safety Juan Thornhill laid out from behind Calvin Austin III to punch a would-be Rodgers completion — on a well-thrown ball — out of his grasp.
Jalen Ramsey and DeShon Elliott talk some before #Steelers practice. #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/TfaKhRAkFw
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) July 26, 2025
Elliott, comparably an elder statesman in the resistance, sounds thrilled to have new guys, such as Thornhill, joining him. Chuck Clark, who he counts among his best friends, arrived on Friday. Elliott played with Ramsey with the Miami Dolphins and lauded the three-time Associated Press All-Pro’s versatility.
“He’s a potential gold jacket,” Elliott said. “Him playing nickel, safety, corner, dime, whatever it is. Whatever you ask (of) him, he can do it. … He had a pick today. He made it look easy.”
Communication issues plagued the Steelers down the stretch last season, with plenty of theorizing about who the missing link was. Elliott has his sights set on being a major voice within the new group.
“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.”
By Alan Saunders
The biggest cheer of the day from the massive crowd on hand was a strange one. It didn’t...
