Steelers' DeShon Elliott Explains His Strange "Osama Bin Tomlin" Instagram Post

The Pittsburgh Steelers made some exciting moves in the 2024 offseason, including signing veteran safety DeShon Elliott to a two-year, $6 million deal. Through the first six games of the season, Elliott has emerged as one of the team's best additions. In just six games, Elliott has delivered an All-Pro level performance, amassing 45 tackles, forcing a fumble, recovering another, and defending three passes.

Elliott has quietly become a key playmaker on the Steelers' star-studded defense, consistently delivering big tackles and showing remarkable effort and grit. His presence has been a valuable asset in Pittsburgh's secondary. On Tuesday, Elliott caused a stir on social media when he posted a photo dump on Instagram following the game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The post featured five images, four of which showed Elliott in action. However, the second-to-last slide included a meme of Head Coach Mike Tomlin, depicting him dressed as Osama bin Laden with the caption "Osama bin Tomlin." The post sparked mixed reactions across the football world for obvious reasons.

Many were puzzled as to why Elliott would share such an image, especially ahead of two games against New York teams. Elliott, however, seemed to find the meme humorous and clarified in a comment that the post was intended as a compliment to Tomlin.

"He’s really him. Been him for 20+," Elliott replied to one fan who thought the post was a direct shot at Tomlin.

Elliott’s teammate Patrick Queen reacted to the post with laughter. 

In response, Elliott explained to Queen the reason behind sharing the meme.

"I’m so confused on what the fans are talking about. I just thought the pic was funny."

It seems Elliott’s intentions were not to be insincere or harmful with his humor. However, with the Steelers' next two games against the New York Jets and New York Giants, some fans—both Steelers and general football fans—found the post to be inappropriate and offensive. 

The image in question depicted a figure responsible for orchestrating the 9/11 attacks in New York, making it a particularly sensitive topic.

Steelers' DeShon Elliott Sparks Outrage With Instagram Post

Elliott’s reply suggested he didn’t intend any harm and simply found the meme funny, using it to highlight the respect and enjoyment he has playing for Tomlin. However, the timing of the post made it difficult for many to see the humor, and it sparked outrage among Steelers fans. It remains to be seen if Tomlin will address the situation publicly.

While Elliott's intentions appear genuine and lighthearted, the timing of his post was undeniably poor. He will likely face questions about his decision, and many expect he’ll need to provide a more detailed explanation. 

Steeler Nation will be eager to hear not only Elliott's side of the story but also how Tomlin and the rest of the team responded to the meme. The incident has sparked curiosity about the internal dynamics within the team and how such actions might affect the locker room as the season progresses.

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