The Pittsburgh Steelers just wrapped a contract extension with a starting defensive player. Unfortunately, it's not the one everyone hoped for. All offseason, we've been waiting for T.J. Watt to put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh for what could be the remainder of his NFL career. This will happen in time. But before Watt's extension, the Steelers just wrapped up a deal with DeShon Elliott.
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Late on Monday night, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Steelers and Elliott came to terms on a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension, which includes $9.21 million in guarantees. The veteran safety is staying put in Pittsburgh and will be part of the future plans.
Elliott was quietly entering a contract year after inking a two-year, $6 million contract with Pittsburgh during the 2024 offseason. One year later, Elliott finds a significant pay increase, jumping from $3 million per season up to $6.25 million per year.
But despite the pay bump, the Steelers are getting a tremendous deal with Elliott's new contract.
DeShon Elliott's new contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers is a sneaky steal
Pittsburgh Steelers fans certainly didn't consider DeShon Elliott's extension a top priority this offseason. The journeyman NFL safety turned 28 years old this offseason and has played for four different teams, dating back to when his journey with the Baltimore Ravens began in 2018.
Meanwhile, Elliott has an injury history that has caused him to miss numerous games, and he's only suited up for a full season once in his first seven years in the NFL. But despite the fact that he bounced around and has dealt with injuries, the Steelers got a tremendous steal with this contract.
Though he missed two games with the Steelers last season, Elliott recorded 108 tackles, four tackles for a loss, six passes defended, and one interception. However, his impact stretched far beyond simple box score numbers.
In the passing game, Elliott allowed just 7.9 yards per completion. Targeted 59 times, the talented safety surrendered a mere 5.2 yards per target, crushing his previous career high (8.8 yards per target in 2020). This equated to allowing just an 88.8 passer rating when thrown at, according to advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
Elliott also earned impressive marks from Pro Football Focus. With a 71.1 overall grade, Elliott ranked just 27th among qualifying NFL safeties in 2024. However, his 83.9 run defense grade was good for 9th in the league at his position. His strong run defense and tackling ability were backed up by recording just a 2.7 percent missed tackle rate.
Here comes the good part: at just $6.25 million per season in new money average, Elliott's brand-new contract extension makes him just the 28th-highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of average annual value.
In other words, the Steelers are getting excellent box score production and one of the best tackling defensive backs in the league for the price of a low-end starter. Some of the players making more than Elliott at the safety position include Eric Murray (PFF's 53rd-ranked safety in 2024), Malik Hooker (42nd), Donovan Wilson (60th), Darnell Savage Jr. (95th), and Andre Cisco (70th).
At the top of the list, players like Kerby Joseph and Antoine Winfield Jr. are each making over $21 million per season, while 10 safeties are making upwards of $15 million per season, according to Over the Cap.
DeShon Elliott is already on the older side and isn't exactly a foundational piece for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but when you consider the season he just had in 2024 and the fact that Omar Khan just made him the 28th-highest-paid safety in the league, it's hard not to come away impressed with this deal.
