The Pittsburgh Steelers are back to work at their facilities as the team is going through mandatory minicamp. With an entirely new staff, led by head coach Mike McCarthy, players are working to learn a fresh playbook under the first new locker room leader the franchise has had in almost 20 years. As the team goes through workouts, there are several unfamiliar faces in the building due to an aggressive free agency by Pittsburgh. Rookies have also entered the conversation. On Tuesday, safety DeShon Elliot spoke to the media and mentioned one newcomer who he is excited to play alongside.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers new Head Coach Mike McCarthy smiles as he addresses the media during his introductory press conference that took place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Joining McCarthy's staff is defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who comes over from the Las Vegas Raiders. Graham did some great work in Las Vegas and now comes to a franchise with more resources to work with, as well as talent. Elliot is coming off of an injury in 2025 and getting to work learning that revised playbook under Graham. However, Graham is not the new face that he is excited to work with, but, instead, it is a new teammate.
Pittsburgh signed safety Jaquan Brisker to a one-year, $5.5 million contract this offseason, following the first four seasons to start his NFL career with the Chicago Bears.
During his media availability Tuesday following their workouts at the team facilities, Elliot spoke highly of Brisker and the chance he will get to play alongside him in 2026 for the Black and Gold. It appears that Graham will have a lot of exciting players to work with during his first year as defensive coordinator in the Steel City based off the comments made.
"It's good to have another dog out there," Elliot said. "Brisk is a great player. [He] communicates very well. I'm excited to play with Brisk."
Elliot, who had to get surgery after a knee/hamstring injury, is poised to move past that with the new coaching staff in 2026. It was originally believed that he was close to returning for the AFC Wild Card game against the Houston Texans, but never was cleared. With that adversity in the rearview mirror, he can be a huge asset to a defense that looks to return to its dominant form in 2026.
Sebastian Foltz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers safety DeShon Elliott puts his hand in the air and points while the team works out during a practice that took place at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Defense Can Vastly Improve With Brisker's Versatility
The Black and Gold ranked near the bottom of the league in 2025, finishing 26th overall in the NFL in total defense, as the unit allowed 356.9 yards per game. It also finished even worse in passing defense with 243.9 yards per game that saw it finish at 29th in that category. That is where a physical and versatile player like Brisker can help to improve the defense as a whole in 2026, but especially with the passing defense.
He had one interception in 2025 with Chicago, as well as eight passes defended. However, he can also help in the running game, which was proven with his 93 total tackles in 2025, as well as one sack and one tackle for loss. He is also known as a great blitzing safety so the comments by Elliot should be highly encouraging for a defense that is needing to turn things around in the 2026 season.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' new safety Jaquan Brisker works out in Organized Team Activities in Pittsburgh in May of 2026.
Pittsburgh did a great job at quickly filling holes on its roster for the 2026 team and it was not just in the Brisker deal. They also signed veteran cornerback Jamel Dean, who had an outstanding 2025 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2023, Graham led Las Vegas to a top-10 scoring defense, as it finished at ninth overall while allowing 19.5 points per game. Given the players that are already returning from last year along with several new faces, such as Brisker, it makes sense why Elliot is excited to play with a guy like him under Graham's leadership for the Steelers in 2026.
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