The Pittsburgh Steelers made a big splash when they acquired Kyle Dugger in a trade with the New England Patriots. However, it came in the wake of a progressively more serious injury to fellow safety DeShon Elliot.
Elliot was carted to the locker room with a knee injury in Week 8 and ultimately placed on injured reserve. While the Steelers are calling him week-to-week, there are some fears that Elliot may be done for the year, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“The Steelers are calling safety DeShon Elliott (hyperextended knee) week-to-week, but people I've talked to are not optimistic that he can return this season,” Fowler wrote. “The team is placing him on injured reserve and just added Dugger at safety. Beyond the knee, Elliott was being examined for potential hamstring damage, as well.”
Before going down with his injury, Elliot made 38 tackles, two passes defended and an interception in his five start. Furthermore, he ranked 25th out of 88 safeties with a 67.2 grade from Pro Football Focus. While he struggled in coverage at times, Elliot was dominant against the run, ranking 16th with a 78.7 grade.
The addition of Dugger should fortify Pittsburgh's defense. But they still need plenty of help. Entering Week 9, the Steelers rank dead last in pass defense, allowing 273.3 yards per game.
Losing Elliot for a minimum four games was already bad enough. But if he is done for the season, Pittsburgh may need to hit the trade market once again. The Steelers will be playing close attention to Elliot's injury before making a final season-long decision.
