Steelers' DeShon Elliott Nearing Full Return

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have waited nearly a year for safety DeShon Elliott to return to full health after suffering a lower-body injury took him out of the 2025 season. It's been a long time coming for the team, and an even longer wait for the star safety.

As the Steelers work through their second week of training camp, Elliott is inching closer to being back for the regular season. The team is still being hesitant, however, as they want to be extremely cautious with one of their top defenders.

But the fact remains, Elliott is confident and trending in the right direction. Speaking to reporters after a recent practice, he shared just how good he's feeling as camp enters its second week.

"I feel good, I feel fast, explosive, cutting, making plays," he said. "S--t, I feel really great, bro."

Patience is Key

Elliott is absolutely trending in the right direction, and that's huge news for the Steelers' secondary. But the thing to remember is that the team remains patient. Head coach Mike McCarthy reiterated that at his recent availability, making it clear that they won't rush such a valued member of the defense back to his full responsibilities.

That's a hard thing to wait for. Just ask Elliott, who admitted how hard it is to wait for clearance from the training staff. That's the competitive nature of the star safety, who is willing to put his entire body on the line for his team.

"I feel good, I felt great," he said. "It's coming up on 9 1/2 months, 10 months (since the injury), so I'm just following the protocol they want me to do... Obviously, with me being a competitor, sometimes I get a little frustrated with that. "

Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Deshon Elliott (25) reacts as he takes the field against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Will Elliott Be Completely Back?

The way the Steelers are handling this points towards a specific timeline. Given how slowly they are handling Elliott, it's clear they want him to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season and not a moment sooner.

Because of that, don't expect to see much of Elliott in the training camp unless he surpasses his recovery timeline. Yes, McCarthy wants to get some of his veterans work in preseason action, but the risk of injury is too great to put Elliott out there.

When Week 1 begins, however, the full arsenal will be deployed. Jaquan Brisker and Elliott will show off as the new safety duo. The sky is the limit for the pairing, but we will have to wait just a bit longer before the tandem fully arrives.

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