The Steelers are only four games into the 2026 season, but the frustration is already building. At 2-2, Pittsburgh isn’t in full-blown crisis mode yet, but the loss to the Cleveland Browns was enough to force some hard reflection as Week 5 prep begins.
Head coach Mike McCarthy made that clear when he said the team needs to “clean our own house,” a blunt way of saying the Steelers have to sort out their own issues before worrying about the Indianapolis Colts. That message fits a team still trying to figure out who it is under a new coach, and it also points straight at one of the biggest problems on the roster: the secondary.
Pittsburgh needs help at cornerback after Joey Porter Jr.’s departure, but the more urgent absence is at safety. The Steelers need somebody on the back end who can set the tone, and that’s why DeShon Elliott looms so large. Until he’s back, it’s hard to see the defense truly stabilizing.
McCarthy did offer a positive update on Elliott during his weekly press conference. Elliott opened the year on injured reserve with a return designation, meaning he had to sit out the mandatory four games before any move toward activation could begin. The next step is opening his practice window, which would start the 21-day clock before the Steelers must decide whether to activate him.
But for now, that step still hasn’t happened. McCarthy said Elliott is progressing again, but there was no actual timetable to announce. According to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo, McCarthy said he had “nothing to report” on Elliott’s practice window.
Asked if DeShon Elliott’s 21-day window will be open, Mike McCarthy said the safety is getting closer but there’s “nothing to announce.”
That 21-day stretch matters. It’s the ramp-up period before a possible return, and it’s also the final checkpoint before the team has to make a call on his season.
If everything goes smoothly, Elliott could be back by the Week 7 game in Paris, France. Right now, though, that feels like a stretch.
And that’s the problem for Pittsburgh. If Elliott doesn’t return before the end of the month and the secondary keeps playing the way it has, his eventual comeback may come too late to matter. A 2-5 record would leave the Steelers chasing the rest of the AFC North instead of trying to take control of their own season.
The best case is straightforward: open the practice window, get him working again, and avoid using all 21 days if possible. McCarthy said Elliott is making progress and getting closer, and the Steelers clearly need him back as soon as they can get him on the field.
Right now, this defense needs someone who can swing the momentum. Elliott is that guy.
In Other News...
Steelers Fans May See Joey Porter Jr. Trade Very Differently Now
The Cowboys acquisition of Joey Porter Jr. came with the usual instant questions about what comes next, but the early read on his approach may ease some of that anxiety. Rather than pushing immediately for a new deal, Porter is reportedly willing to play out his current contract, which gives Dallas some breathing room as it sorts through the longer-term picture around one of its newest defensive additions.
For Steelers fans, that detail may change the way the move is viewed from afar. Porters market value is estimated at around $27.4 million per year, so the price tag is still substantial, but the bigger issue now appears to be how much security and how many years the Cowboys want to offer when the time comes. The contract conversation is not going away, but the early signs suggest this may be more about fit and timing than any urgent showdown over money. [Read more 🡒]
Missing Steelers Fan Case In Cleveland Just Took A Disturbing Turn
A trip to Cleveland for a football game has turned into a search that now carries real weight. Phoenix Phillips, a 24-year-old from Maryland, was last seen downtown after attending the game, and police have said his disappearance is concerning. His phone was found, adding to the unease around a case that has quickly moved beyond a simple missing-person report.
Authorities have also recovered an unidentified body near the area where Phillips was last known to be, though they have not confirmed any connection. The investigation remains active, and online chatter has added another layer of noise around Phillips, with unverified allegations tying him to unauthorized trading and scamming. For now, though, the only thing that matters is the unanswered question of what happened after he left the game. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers LB Cole Holcomb Shares A Feel Good Life Update
For a Steelers defense still trying to settle in through a 2-2 start, Cole Holcomb has had a more personal milestone to celebrate away from the field. Holcomb and his wife, Casey, welcomed their second child this week, a baby boy named Drew Jarrett, or DJ, adding a bright spot to a season that has already had its share of on-field grind for the veteran inside linebacker.
Holcomb has continued to be part of Pittsburghs mix in the middle of the defense, even as the early weeks have brought a little bit of everything, including an NFL fine for a blindside block on a special teams play in Week 3. The newborn news, though, is the kind of update that can reset a players week in a hurry, and it gives Holcomb and his family a memorable moment as the Steelers move deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]