Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Seattle Seahawks tied to $17M Pittsburgh Steelers safety

As the 2026 NFL Draft nears with every passing day, so does the excitement for analysts who pitch trades to franchises in dire need of potential players and draft picks. At this time, Bleacher Report’s Moe Monton suggests the Seattle Seahawks could acquire Pittsburgh Steelers veteran safety DeShon Elliott to upgrade their safety position.The Seahawks lost safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Riq Woolen within two weeks of free agency. They did sign Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II, but he has mostly played on special teams in the past two seasons. This is where Seattle GM John Schneider could bring in veteran insurance for the secondary in the form of DeShon Elliott.Pittsburgh signed two safeties, Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage Jr. This makes Monton predict that the Steelers may want to trade Elliott. Unless Jalen Ramsey moves into the slot full-time, then maybe Elliott could have a reduced role to play.The Sporting News’ Mike Moraitis reports that Elliott is ideal for Seattle because he is of starting-caliber, able to line up in the slot, in the box, or at free safety. However, Pittsburgh may not want to give up on its strong safety. They added Brisker and Savage, but Savage was brought in as depth rather than to be a starter.Suspicion further fueled when the Steelers added Jamel Dean to pair with Joey Porter Jr. They may send Ramsey back to the slot. And we’re back to square one.The thing is Elliott’s trade may depend on Ramsey’s position in 2026. If he stays a free safety, the safety room may seem overcrowded due to recent additions [Brisker and Savage]. An overcrowded room may mean Elliott’s departure/trade. But if the franchise decides to move Ramsey to his slot cornerback role, then Elliott may be kept for depth [all speculation at its best]. But if Elliott is traded to Jaxon Smith-Njigba-led Seattle, someone will welcome him with a wide smile.The John Harbaugh-led Baltimore Ravens drafted Elliott in 2018. At the time, Mike Macdonald was the linebackers coach. Both of them have familiarity. A reunion in Seattle could be expected then. Since 2018, a lot has changed for both of them. Macdonald became a Super Bowl-winning head coach for Seattle within two years of starting his head coaching tenure. Whereas Elliott went on to accumulate impeccable numbers, the highest being in 2024: 108 tackles [73 solo], two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and six pass breakups in 15 games. In 2025, the Texas alum played only five games due to a knee injury. In those five games, he amassed 38 total tackles [20 solo], 1.0 sack, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups. The 28-year-old safety suffered a season-ending hyperextension of the right knee in Week 8 of 2025 season. Steelers GM Omar Khan gave Elliott’s injury update during the 2026 NFL Combine.“I’m looking forward to DeShon just being DeShon,” Khan said. “He’s really a good football player. And he’s working hard. Right now, everything’s on schedule, as far as I understand. And once we get to opening day, I don’t think there will be any limitations.”Bleacher Report’s Moe Monton reports that Elliott is now healthy and could become a strong contributor to Seattle’s less crowded secondary. No Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen. Newly signed Rodney Thomas II has played mostly on special teams in the past two seasons.According to Spotrac, the Steelers safety signed a two-year, $12.5M contract with a $6M signing bonus and $7.1M in guaranteed money in June 2025. He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.04M and a $2.04M roster bonus, while carrying a $6.08M cap hit and a $6.04M dead cap value in 2026. His total career earnings over eight years are $17M.Would Pittsburgh trade Elliott? Remains to be seen…