Steelers Expected to Lose Star Defender After Gruesome Injury

DeShon Elliott Suffers Gruesome Injury vs. Packers

Elliott suffered the injury in the 35-25 defeat in Week 8 for the Steelers against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw up a pass on third-and-5 and found tight end Tucker Kraft, who ran for 26 yards to move into Steelers territory on the first drive of the second half.

Steelers safety Juan Thornhill tackled Kraft, who spun and fell into the right leg of Elliott, who fell down and held his leg in pain.

Elliott needed assistance getting off the field, not putting any weight on his leg. He then got on a cart and headed for the locker room once he got to the sidelines. The Steelers then ruled him out for the rest of the game.

Steelers Struggle Without Elliott

The Steelers defense was horrendous in the second half and Elliott's absence played a large role in their poor play.

Love dominated through the air, completing 20 consecutive passes, with 17 of them coming in the second half.

He led the Packers to four touchdowns in the second half, after trailing 16-7 at halftime, and finished with 360 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 29-of-37 passes in the victory.

Kraft had a career game without Elliott on the field, finishing with seven catches for 143 yards and a touchdown for the Packers.

What the Steelers Miss With Elliott Out

Elliott is one of the top defensive players on the Steelers roster and one of the better safeties in the NFL.

He had 38 tackles (20 solo), three quarterback hits and one interception in five starts this season, missing the loss to the Seattle Seahawks at home in Week 2 and the road win over the New England Patriots in Week 3 with an MCL sprain.

Elliott had 12 tackles in the 23-9 win over the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 5 and also had his interception in the 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park, in Dublin, Ireland in Week 4.

He is one of the better tacklers on the team and his work in coverage prevents big gains from offenses across the league.

Who Will the Steelers Replace Elliott With?

Thornhill is the free safety for the Steelers, but will need someone to fill in for Elliott at strong safety.

Both Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers are the main backups for the Steelers at strong safety and will assume larger roles going forward on defense.

The Steelers will sorely miss Elliott, but if Clark or Peppers can play admirably and effectively, the loss won't hurt as much.