Steelers finally address glaring hole opposite of All-Pro with a familiar face

What to expect from Elliott?

With Minkah Fitzpatrick having to play a variety of roles last year due to injury and personnel concerns, the All-Pro was unable to play the position that has made him one of the most feared safeties in the league. 

A natural-born centerfielder, Fitzpatrick does best as the traffic cop, keeping things in front of him and daring opposing QBs to take shots over the middle. 

But last year, the playmaker was used as a versatile chess piece, aligning over tight ends in man coverage and even being inserted as a plus one in the run defense unit. 

And while he played well there, Pittsburgh missed his ball-hawking skills, evidenced by a drop in interceptions from 6 in 2022 to 0 in 2023. 

With the signing of Elliott, he can now take over that role for Fitzpatrick, seeing as he has experience playing both as a free and strong safety, along with some experience as a nickel defender. 

Elliott is also scheme multiple given his tenure with Baltimore, Detroit, and Miami. 

The Steelers are signing Elliott off a season that saw him tie career highs in interceptions while allocating a career-best seven pass defenses. 

Final Word

Elliott may not be as flashy as a name like Justin Simmons or players that signed earlier in free agency like Chauncey Gardner Johnson, but he is a cost-efficient and proven producer that bodes well for exactly what Pittsburgh not only wants to do but for what they need.