Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has his team sitting at a strong 4-2 record as they prepare for their Sunday night matchup against the New York Jets. The Steelers’ defense, as usual, has been their backbone, currently ranked second in the NFL in points allowed. This defensive prowess has been key to their success, allowing only 39 total points in their four victories this season.
One of the standout players on that defense has been veteran safety DeShon Elliott, who leads the team with 45 tackles. However, Elliott made headlines this week for reasons that have nothing to do with his on-field performance.
On Tuesday night, Elliott caused a stir on social media when he posted a highly controversial and confusing image on Instagram. The post featured Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s face superimposed onto a picture of Osama bin Laden, accompanied by the caption “Osama bin Tomlin.”
The bizarre and offensive nature of the post left Steelers fans and NFL observers alike both baffled and outraged. The comparison to one of the world’s most infamous terrorists was met with immediate backlash, as many were left wondering what message Elliott was trying to convey, if any.
Reactions from Steelers fans on social media were swift and critical. Many expressed shock and confusion over the post, with some calling out the safety for making light of a sensitive and traumatic subject.
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“Not really sure what’s going on here, but DeShon Elliott posted this on Instagram a little bit ago,” a fan account, Steelers Network, pointed out, sharing the image.
Another fan account, Steelers Depot, tweeted, “What in the world? #Steelers #NFL,” while yet another fan was more direct, writing, “What the f— does DeShon Elliott mean by this, bro? What is going on with this team?”
One fan took issue with the underlying subject matter of the post, adding, “Yo guys. This is wrong for DeShon Elliott to post this. Should never make light of 9/11 ever. This is not okay.”
As of now, it remains unclear what Elliott’s intentions were with the post. Whether it was meant as a joke, an ill-conceived attempt at humor, or something else entirely, the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. The post has since been removed, but the damage may already be done as Elliott is likely to face questions about the controversial image in the coming days.
Elliott, who is an important part of the Steelers’ defensive success this season, now finds himself in hot water for reasons entirely unrelated to football.
Given his key role on the team, particularly as they prepare for a primetime game against the Jets on Sunday night, the incident may serve as an unnecessary distraction for both Elliott and the Steelers organization.
With the Steelers set to take on the Jets at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, all eyes will be on how the team handles this situation internally and whether Elliott will address his controversial post. One thing is for sure: the focus will need to shift back to football quickly as Pittsburgh looks to build on their strong start to the season.
