In the NFL, as in most sports, the offensive players get most of the fame and the glory. The defensive players, by contrast, are rough around the edges and are on the periphery of fame. And, in the NFL, that’s a good thing. It inevitably creates animosity between offensive and defensive players.
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There is perhaps nothing a defensive player likes better (apart from scoring a TD themselves) than hitting the opposing quarterback. Hitting them hard—within the frame of these new QB-loving rules, of course. And the more famous the QB, the sweeter the hit. That’s why Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety DeShon Elliott still savors a particularly cracking tackle he laid on the greatest QB of his generation, Patrick Mahomes.
Elliott laid the wood on Mahomes back in the 2023 Wild Card playoffs, when the safety was still a member of the Miami Dolphins. As the Kansas City Chiefs‘ QB was being taken down on a run inside the five-yard line, Elliott came in and popped him with a tough helmet-to-helmet stick (Mahomes was a runner at the time) that was so well-positioned it caused a piece of Mahomes’ helmet to crack and fly off.
A piece of Patrick Mahomes' helmet came flying off. 😮 pic.twitter.com/m2bFObIhnq
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 14, 2024
Despite the hit, however, Mahomes was not hurt in the slightest. The refs even stopped the clock so he could switch helmets. They’re a real nice bunch, aren’t they?
The Chiefs won the game 26-7, and Elliott departed from Miami for the Steel City during the ensuing offseason. His gritty, hard-hitting style of play quickly ingratiated him with Steeler Nation, and he is a fan favorite after just one year in the Black and Gold.
Heading into his second year with Pittsburgh, Elliott was asked by long-time Steelers leader Cam Heyward what it was like to lay a hit like that on Mahomes—quite a rarity—and how he believes it changed his perception. Elliott said that he’ll still “knock somebody out” if he needs to (legally), but that he’s not the same “crash dummy” he was as a younger player.
“I’ve toned it down as I’ve gotten older. I have. I’ve gotten better with it. I’m more safe with my body so I can extend my career. I’ll still knock somebody out if I have to—legally.”
While Elliott’s explosive hit was the main reason for the mini-implosion of Mahomes’ helmet, they were playing in sub-zero temperatures in K.C. in January, which Elliott acknowledges likely contributed as well.
“It was cool, I think the weather played a factor in that, because it was dang near zero degrees outside. … I have that picture actually put up in my house in Dallas. … I want that helmet that Patrick had, I wonder does he still have it. I’m gonna ask him.”
Unfortunately for Elliott, the Steelers don’t play Mahomes’ Chiefs this season. If he wants to find out about that cracked helmet, he’ll have to get in touch with Mahomes outside the field.
That is, unless this Aaron Rodgers experiment somehow pays off and the Steelers meet the Chiefs in the playoffs. Then, depending on the result, Elliott might be able to finally get his memento.
