DeShon Elliott Bio
DeShon Elliott (born April 21, 1997) is an American professional football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft. Standing 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and competing at roughly 210 lb (95 kg), Elliott has built his career on physicality, range, and an aggressive approach to defending the run and the pass.
Across his professional career, Elliott has suited up for the Baltimore Ravens (2018–2021), the Detroit Lions (2022), the Miami Dolphins (2023), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2024–present). As of the 2025 NFL season, his career totals include 433 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks, 25 pass deflections, 5 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries. He earned unanimous All-American and first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2017 at the University of Texas.
Early Life and Background
DeShon Elliott was born on April 21, 1997, in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and attended Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, where he played high school football. The Rockwall-Heath program gave him an early stage to display the physicality and instincts that would later define his style as a professional safety.
Coming out of high school, Elliott was a notable prospect who drew attention from multiple college programs. He ultimately committed to the University of Texas to play college football, choosing the Longhorns over other suitors. That decision set him on a path to one of college football’s most visible defensive stages and provided the platform for his 2017 breakout campaign.
Path to American Football
Elliott’s progression from a Texas high school standout to a professional safety began in earnest at the University of Texas. As a freshman in 2015, he played in seven games and recorded 13 tackles and two interceptions, showing the ball-hawking ability that would become a hallmark of his game. As a sophomore, he appeared in 12 games and made one start, finishing with 30 tackles, one interception, and one sack while continuing to refine his technique.
His junior season in 2017 was the turning point. Elliott was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back, cementing his status among the elite safeties in college football. After the season, he announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2018 NFL draft, declining to play in Texas’s bowl game. He then headed to the NFL Scouting Combine, where he nearly completed all of his drills before a hamstring injury cut his workout short.
DeShon Elliott Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
The Baltimore Ravens selected DeShon Elliott in the sixth round, 190th overall, of the 2018 NFL draft, making him the 17th safety drafted that year. On May 5, 2018, Baltimore signed him to a four-year, $2.61 million contract that included a $157,795 signing bonus. During his first training camp, he competed for a backup safety role but suffered a fractured forearm in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2018, missing his entire rookie year.
Elliott made his long-awaited regular-season debut on September 8, 2019, recording one solo tackle in the Ravens’ 59–10 win at the Miami Dolphins. He appeared in six games that season and posted six tackles, but a knee injury in Week 6 sent him to injured reserve on October 15, 2019, ending his second campaign after only six appearances. Heading into 2020, he was still viewed as a developmental player behind established veterans.
Baltimore Ravens Breakthrough (2020–2021)
Elliott’s career changed dramatically in August 2020 when the Baltimore Ravens released Earl Thomas following an altercation with Chuck Clark. Head coach John Harbaugh named Elliott the de facto starting free safety, and he delivered. On September 13, 2020, he earned his first career start and recorded five combined tackles in a 38–6 win over the Cleveland Browns. A week later, he notched his first career sack, taking down Deshaun Watson for a four-yard loss in a victory against the Houston Texans. He finished 2020 with 80 combined tackles, four pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles while starting all 16 games.
That season also marked his postseason debut. On January 10, 2021, he started in the AFC Wildcard Game at the Tennessee Titans and made four combined tackles plus a pass deflection in a 20–13 win, before the Ravens were eliminated the following week by the Buffalo Bills. In 2021, he opened the year as a starter and produced his best performance of his Baltimore tenure on October 17, 2021, posting three solo tackles, a pass deflection, a sack, and his first career interception off a pass by Justin Herbert in a 34–6 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers. A biceps and pectoral injury later that season ended his final year in Baltimore after only six games.
Detroit Lions Era (2022)
On April 14, 2022, the Detroit Lions signed Elliott to a one-year, $1.10 million contract. Head coach Dan Campbell named him the starting free safety alongside Tracy Walker, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn moved former starter Will Harris to nickelback. Elliott delivered one of his most productive seasons, finishing 2022 with 96 combined tackles, three pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 14 games and 13 starts. His season-high 12 combined tackles came in a Week 6 loss at the New England Patriots, where he also intercepted a pass from Bailey Zappe. Pro Football Focus graded him 66.5, ranking 39th among 75 qualifying safeties.
Miami Dolphins Era (2023)
On March 15, 2023, the Miami Dolphins signed Elliott to a fully guaranteed one-year, $1.77 million contract. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio named him the starting free safety alongside Jevon Holland, and he opened the season with a 13-tackle performance in a 36–34 win at the Los Angeles Chargers. He went on to record 82 combined tackles, seven pass deflections, one interception, and a fumble recovery in 15 games and 15 starts. His 2023 interception came in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills, picking off a Josh Allen pass intended for Gabriel Davis. He earned a 72.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, his highest single-season mark at that point.
Pittsburgh Steelers Era (2024–Present)
On March 14, 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Elliott to a two-year, $6.00 million contract. Head coach Mike Tomlin named him the starting strong safety alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick, and he delivered a career year. In the 2024 season-opener at the Atlanta Falcons, he intercepted a Kirk Cousins pass intended for Drake London in an 18–10 win. He finished 2024 with 108 combined tackles, six pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and one interception in 15 games and 14 starts. On June 16, 2025, Pittsburgh signed him to a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension that includes $9.21 million guaranteed.
Driving Style and Strengths
Elliott is widely described as a confident, physical zone defender who plays best near the line of scrimmage. Scouts have praised his size, his love of the game, and his willingness to do the unglamorous work of run support and special teams. He has shown the most comfort in two-high safety looks and matchups against tight ends and running backs, where his downhill aggressiveness and tackle reliability are at their best.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Elliott’s signature moments are his first career sack against Deshaun Watson in 2020, his first career interception off Justin Herbert in 2021, and his first interception as a Steeler off Kirk Cousins in the 2024 opener. His unanimous All-American selection in 2017, his Jim Thorpe Award finalist nod, and his 2025 contract extension with Pittsburgh stand as the headline milestones of a career that has overcome multiple early injuries to reach its most productive stretch.
DeShon Elliott Career Wins
DeShon Elliott has compiled a steady résumé of team and individual accomplishments across his NFL career. While he is not a traditional pass-rusher or turnover machine at the top of the safety leaderboards, he has produced at a starter’s level for four different franchises and has been rewarded with multi-year contracts at each of his last two stops.
Team and Individual Highlights
Elliott’s Baltimore Ravens were AFC North champions in 2018 and reached the postseason in both 2020 and 2021 with him starting in the secondary. He helped Detroit field one of the league’s most improved defenses in 2022 and contributed to a Miami Dolphins team that reached the playoffs in 2023. With Pittsburgh, he helped anchor a defensive backfield that powered a winning 2024 campaign.
Other Wins & Performances
At the college level, Elliott’s 2017 unanimous All-American and first-team All-Big 12 selections cap a decorated amateur résumé. At the professional level, his 96-tackle season with the Lions in 2022 and his career-high 108-tackle season with the Steelers in 2024 are his two most productive statistical years to date.
DeShon Elliott Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly verified details about DeShon Elliott’s parents and extended family are limited. He grew up in the Dallas, Texas area and has credited his upbringing in the region with helping shape the toughness he brings to the football field.
Personal Life
DeShon Elliott keeps his personal life largely private, and no confirmed public information about a spouse, partner, or children is available from verified sources at this time. He has been based in Pittsburgh since joining the Steelers in March 2024.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NFL season is DeShon Elliott’s second year in Pittsburgh and the first season of his new contract extension. He returned to the starting strong safety role alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick and remained a central figure in the Steelers’ secondary. His role on the defense continued to center on run support, tackling in the box, and matching up against tight ends.
After suffering a hyperextended knee in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, Elliott was placed on injured reserve on October 31, 2025. The injury interrupted a strong start to the year, but Pittsburgh’s investment in him through a contract extension signaled the team’s long-term plans at the position. His return from injured reserve will be a key storyline for the Steelers’ defensive backfield in the season’s closing weeks.
With Elliott under contract through 2026, Pittsburgh’s outlook for the rest of 2025 hinges in part on his health and the secondary’s ability to maintain its early-season form. When healthy, he remains a tone-setting tackler whose downhill style complements the playmakers around him, including Fitzpatrick and the Steelers’ pass rush. The team will look for him to play a leading role down the stretch as it pushes toward the postseason.
