Steelers A to Z: Journeyman DeShon Elliott impresses in 1st year, earns lucrative contract

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

S DESHON ELLIOTT

Experience/age: Seventh season, 28

Contract status: This week, he signed a contract extension through 2027 worth $15.5 million overall with more than $9 million in guarantees.

The past: When Elliott arrived in Pittsburgh via a two-year, $6 million contract 15 months ago, he was joining his fourth team in four seasons. After a debut year in black and gold in which he fit in seamlessly and stood out as a versatile playmaker and outspoken leader, Elliott was rewarded with money and stability. Elliott signed a two-year extension earlier this week that guaranteed him cash and tied him to the Steelers for the next three seasons.

The length of term and cash involved was a welcome change for Elliott, who played for relative bargain salaries in 2022 with the Detroit Lions and 2023 with the Miami Dolphins. He spent his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens after they’d taken him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. Elliott spent his rookie season on IR, and a variety of injuries limited him to only 28 games over his Baltimore tenure. Injuries also pockmarked his time with Detroit and Miami, albeit Elliott played 29 of 34 games in 2022-23. Last season with the Steelers, Elliott suffered a hamstring injury in December. His two-game absence coincided with the start of the Steelers’ late-season collapse when they finished with a five-game losing streak (including playoffs).

The #Steelers agreed to a new contract with one of their core defensive players, but it wasn’t the decorated All-Pro outside linebacker.https://t.co/6WLcMIH1EZ

— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) June 17, 2025

2025 outlook: In traditional football parlance, Elliott was the Steelers starting strong safety last season and will be again so in 2025. In the modern game, positional alignments are more fluid, and according to Pro Football Focus it was for about 40% of the snaps Elliott played that he was “in the box.” He also lined up extensively at free safety and slot/nickel.

The season before in Miami, Elliott far more often lined up deep in the back of the defense. That more mirrored his deployment over his prior four seasons on an NFL field. But with Minkah Fitzpatrick in Pittsburgh, Elliott played closer to the line of scrimmage. He responded with a 108-tackle season, leading the team in solo stops. PFF graded him as tied for the best tackling safety in the NFL, No. 8 against the run. Elliott also was used as a blitzer to some degree of success.

Adding in his frank voice in the locker room, Elliott fit like a proverbial glove on the Steelers defense. He’ll do so into the future over the next couple of years, too.