DeShon Elliott Injury Update
Yo Steelers Nation, tough pill to swallow, but here's the straight dope on our strong safety DeShon Elliott. Dude went down hard in Sunday's Week 8 heartbreaker vs. the Packers – ankle got trapped under a pile, hyperextended his right knee badly. No weight on that leg as trainers carted him off early; looked nasty in real time, and he was ruled OUT for the rest of the game right then.
Steelers are placing him on IR today – that's minimum 4 weeks sidelined, per @RapSheet and @SteelersNetwork. Tomlin called it a hyperextension in his presser: out for Week 9 vs. Colts for sure, not ruling out season-ending yet, but the IR move screams significant. Fans are gutted – Elliott's been a tackling machine (led team in stops), filling that box safety role like a boss after his early-season MCL bounce-back.
Just hours after the injury buzz, the Steelers trade for Pats stud Kyle Dugger (plus a '26 7th) for a '26 6th – Pats even chipping in on his $9.75M salary. Dude's a beast: 2K+ snaps in the box, slot versatility – perfect Elliott clone to plug-and-play Week 9. @JFowlerESPN and @Schultz_Report confirm it's all tied to this hit; secondary stays nasty. Jabrill Peppers can slide in, too, if needed.
IR designation means rehab grind starts now – hyper-extended knees can heal in 4-8 weeks if no tears (fingers crossed, scans pending). Back for late Nov/Dec push? Possible, but don't bank on it yet. Prayers up for DeShon – co-captain, fashion king, heart of the D. Dugger steps in, roll.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and relies on publicly available sources, team statements, and credible sports news reports. Injury statuses can change rapidly as new updates emerge. For official medical updates and player status, please consult team releases or the Pittsburgh Steelers’ official communications.
