A year ago, Deshon Elliott’s safety didn’t attract headlines. He wasn’t the flashiest name or the biggest addition. Linebacker Patrick Queen has signed a much bigger deal. Quarterback Russell Wilson dominated the national media roundtable. But by the end of 2024, Deshon Elliott was able to claim that the Pittsburgh Steelers were the smartest and best offseason pickup. One thing the Steelers need to keep finding.
On Monday night, Elliott inked a multi-year extension with the team, keeping him in Pittsburgh well beyond the two-year, $6 million contract he signed before last season. Without a doubt, he overestimated the small contract. Appearing in 15 games, he was a powerful, sturdy tackler capable of building big hits. He wasn’t reckless, and made sure his shocking clashes were not in danger of losing the runner.
Our Josh Carney charted him for missing out on one tackle. The profile football reference defeated him For 2.7% misrateThe lowest of the 53 NFL players who registered triple digit tackles, as Elliott did at 108.
Those who lean towards those metrics will appreciate the top 10 run defense grade profile football focus that Elliot gave Elliot. He was tied up with Taylor Lap of the top tackle grade Buffalo Bills, an elite 90.6. The safety of the past two seasons has been higher.
Elliot was a classic box safety with the exact skill set needed to thrive, fearless and downhill. He read the performance well, attacked, and finished. The runner simply did not escape his grasp.
Elliott is not elite in the press, but he played a handful of games, including intercepting the season opener. He was consistent, trusted and missed in the two games he missed due to injuries. The numbers paint a wide range of pictures, but in 15 games with Elliott, Pittsburgh allowed 17.4 points and 88.5 rushing yards per game. In none of these numbers surged to 30.5 points and 175.5 rushing yards per game. The difference between night and day.
Aside from the strange social media gaffes, Elliot quietly roamed his business. He understood the Steelers culture from his first press conference and didn’t need time to buy what Pittsburgh asked him to do.
Elliot Burlazer is frustrated and expects more during the team’s winning streak. Airing public complaints may not have been the best path, but he doesn’t scale back for a second or call out what he needs to do to win. He’s not a star either, but he knows his role and is a niche player who consistently does it at a high level.
That’s the need for a type of signature in Pittsburgh. A cheap contract that maximizes the Steelers, picks up free agents under the radar. Even Elliot’s expansion is an economic deal that has locked him in over 2025, robbing a strong safety from the 2026 team’s potential list of needs. The list of internal replacements has been diluted. The big splash had its place and the Steelers were more offensive in that regard.
However, most rosters consist of small and mid-level transactions. Find a player that wasn’t suitable elsewhere but has the best place for your team’s system. Pittsburgh discovered it at Deshon Elliott. This is a model that teams must follow at a free institution to follow.
