Starting Defensive Backs Remain Limited in Steelers Practice
Steelers safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. remained limited participants during Thursday's practice. Before heading to the airport for their flight to Dublin, the team practiced for a few hours. The Steelers will be practicing in Ireland on Friday. The team will provide a status report after Friday's practice. The Steelers play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Dublin's Croke Park. The kickoff is at 9:30 a.m. EST. The game will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network and locally in Pittsburgh on WTAE-TV.
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin spoke about how it would be beneficial for the team if Elliott and Porter could play in Sunday's game. He said, "Familiarity with being here and being with me and in this system allows you to do some things. It gives you some flexibility because sometimes you get into a game and there are things you may not have worked on. We go, 'Hey, we need this in this game. Hey guys, we are going to do this.' They will have recall and may be able to access those things, whereas when you have new guys, that's not the case. You got to figure out and deal with what you put in that week."
Elliott and Porter were both injured when the Steelers played the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 7th. Elliott suffered a knee injury during the second quarter of the game. Porter suffered a hamstring injury during the third quarter. Despite losing two starting defensive players, the Steelers still managed to defeat the Jets 34-32. Various Steelers have taken over in their absence, including safeties Chuck Clark, Jabrill Peppers, and Juan Thornhill, as well as cornerbacks Brandin Echols and James Pierre. Elliott and Porter were unable to participate in practice for two weeks. They returned this week.
Elliott previously played for the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and the Miami Dolphins. In March of 2024, he inked a two-year deal with the Steelers. He signed a two-year contract extension in June of this year. Elliott started in 14 of the 15 games he played in throughout the regular season last year. He amassed 108 tackles, six passes defensed, and one interception last season. He also registered three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. The Steelers chose Porter during the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He started in all 16 regular-season games he played in last season. He amassed 70 tackles, seven passes defensed, and one interception last year.
