Steelers Release Former Notre Dame Safety

The Steelers have released former Lions and Notre Dame safety Jalen Elliott as part of their ten cuts on Monday, the team announced.

The team signed Elliott on August 8th, and he played in all three preseason games for the Steelers. Elliott earned a solid 71.3 PFF tackling grade in those games, racking up 11 tackles over the three games. However, teams went at Elliott during games, allowing 13 receptions on 13 targets for 108 receiving yards and two touchdowns over those three games.

Elliott is a safety out of Notre Dame. Only 25, he was an undrafted free agent in the class of 2020. He found time with the Detroit Lions in 2020 and 2021 and then spent last year with the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. Elliott has 12 total tackles in his NFL career. He was hosted as part of the mass of defensive backs after several injuries for private workouts in August.

While at Notre Dame, Elliott played in 44 games while racking up six interceptions and 11 pass deflections over four seasons in South Bend. His Junior season was his most productive, with four interceptions and seven pass deflections. Over his career, he posted 176 tackles with the Fighting Irish.

For the Steelers, they released Kenny Robinson along with Elliott. Guys such as Trenton Thompson, Miles Killebrew, and Tre Norwood remain on the team before the cutdowns that will come on Tuesday. The starters, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, and Damontae Kazee, are firmly entrenched on the roster. While Pittsburgh will likely keep ten defensive backs, they will keep six cornerbacks, with Elijah Riley providing help in both the slot and the safety position. Elliott slotted in as more of a strong safety type.

Elliott’s release trimmed the Steelers’ roster down to 72 players. The team has until 4 p.m. on Tuesday to reach the NFL regular season limit of 53 players.