PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed during his press conference that the team is working out veteran safeties Vonn Bell and Eddie Jackson on Tuesday.
The Steelers are in need of a safety after DeShon Elliott’s devastating injury on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.
Tomlin described Elliott’s injury as a hyperextended knee. That appears to be an encouraging sign after Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported on Monday night that the Steelers are bracing for Elliott to miss the rest of the season.
Fowler notes that Elliott’s ACL is intact and he’s working through the nature of the leg injury, so Pittsburgh will hold out hope, but a return is not considered likely at this point.
Tomlin said Elliott is week-to-week and said the team hasn’t yet discussed whether he’ll end up on injured reserve. Elliott will be out for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Steelers are familiar with Bell, as he played four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s most famous for the big hit he put on JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2020.
Bell has 746 combined tackles, 9.5 sacks, eight interceptions, and 16 forced fumbles in his career. Bell has been a free agent since March.
Jackson played seven years with the Chicago Bears before spending time with the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. The 31-year-old was named first-team All-Pro in 2018 and is a two-time Pro Bowler (2018, 2019).
In his career, Jackson has recorded 373 solo tackles, 15 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, and six defensive touchdowns (three pick-sixes and three scoop and scores).
Jackson recorded 18 combined tackles in nine games with the Ravens last season before being waived in November. He later signed with the Chargers’ practice squad. He became a free agent when his contract expired following the season.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
