Steelers cut ties with hard-nosed safety

The Steelers are waiving former Lions safety Jalen Elliott from the practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday. The news comes on the heels of an optimistic injury report from Mike Tomlin. Minkah Fitzpatrick has missed the last four games, but with the play of Trenton Thompson and the signing of veteran Eric Rowe, it seems Elliott fell out of favor to some degree.

He played in all three preseason games with the Steelers. Elliott earned a solid 71.3 PFF tackling grade in those games, racking up 11 tackles over the three games. However, teams went at Elliott during games, allowing 13 receptions on 13 targets for 108 receiving yards and two touchdowns over those three games.

Elliott is a safety out of Notre Dame. Only 25, he was an undrafted free agent in the class of 2020. He found time with the Detroit Lions in 2020 and 2021 and then spent last year with the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. Elliott has 12 total tackles in his NFL career. He was hosted as part of the mass of defensive backs after several injuries for private workouts in August.

While at Notre Dame, Elliott played in 44 games while racking up six interceptions and 11 pass deflections over four seasons in South Bend. His Junior season was his most productive, with four interceptions and seven pass deflections. Over his career, he posted 176 tackles with the Fighting Irish.