Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety DeShon Elliott has arrived in Cincinnati and is expected to play on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals , the team announced .
Elliott was unexpectedly listed as questionable to play on Thursday night when the team published its final injury status for the game on Wednesday afternoon. Elliott did not travel with the team to Cincinnati on Wednesday afternoon.
Elliott is apparently fully healthy, but was listed as missing the team's walkthrough on Wednesday due to personal reasons. He also did not participate in the team's Tuesday practice, but that was characterized as for resting reasons.
Elliott previously missed two games this season due to a knee injury suffered during the Week 1 win over the New York Jets . He returned against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4.
If Elliott was a no-go, the Steelers would have likely used a combination of Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers to replace him at strong safety, as they did in Weeks 2 and 3. Clark started against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 and Peppers started in Week 3 at the New England Patriots . Clark was a healthy scratch last week.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott during a game against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 12, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Steelers willbe without backup strong safety and special teams captain Miles Killebrew , who was ruled out with a knee injury. The Steelers have one safety on their practice squad, rookie Jack Henderson, who just recently joined the team.
Elliott had a standout performance in the Steelers'23-9 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, recording a team-high 12 total tackles.
Having Elliott active is a big boost for a secondary that will be going up against a highly-talented Bengals' wide receiver corps. Elliott is a key piece on the Steelers defense, especially when it comes to being a vocal leader.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting for this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Key Steelers Starter Expected to Play vs. Bengals
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