The Pittsburgh Steelers have quietly built one of the most talented secondaries in the entire NFL heading into the 2026 season, and the conversation surrounding that group has been heating up all offseason. With Jalen Ramsey, Jaquan Brisker, and a healthy DeShon Elliott all set to take the field together for the first time, there is genuine excitement about what this defense can become under new coordinator Patrick Graham. However, before we look ahead to 2026, one respected analyst just dropped a take about the 2024 season that is going to stop every Steelers fan dead in their tracks.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
DeShon Elliott takes a moment during a regular season game for the Steelers against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland in 2025.
During a recent episode of The Arthur Moats Experience, Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Mark Bergen made a bold declaration about the 2024 Steelers defense that cuts right to the heart of one of the most debated topics in recent Pittsburgh history. Bergen did not sugarcoat it, and he did not hedge.
"Steelers fans know this if they were actually watching. In 2024, DeShon Elliott was a better player and a more impactful player than Minkah Fitzpatrick was. I'll say it," Bergen claimed. "I watch the games. It's true. And I say that with tremendous respect for Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has been an All-Pro at that position. But in the 2024 season, DeShon Elliott was better."
That is not a take from someone trying to generate controversy for the sake of it. Bergen has an Emmy trophy sitting on his desk and years of film study behind him. When he says he watches the games, he means it. And the truth is that this take is not as outrageous as it might sound to casual Steelers fans. As SteelerNation previously covered, Fitzpatrick's teammates were publicly pointing fingers at him during the 2024 season as a key reason the defense fell apart down the stretch, and the organization ultimately made the decision to trade him away in the offseason.
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Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick celebrates after making a big tackle during a loss to the Chiefs in 2024.
That does not happen to a player who is still performing at an All-Pro level. Elliott, on the other hand, was doing the dirty work consistently, playing fast, tackling well, and making the right calls in the secondary before a season-ending injury cut his year short in Week 8. Bergen is simply saying out loud what the film had been showing all along.
Steelers' Secondary Is Now Built To Thrive Without Minkah Fitzpatrick In 2026
The reason Bergen's take matters so much heading into 2026 is what it means for this defense going forward. Fitzpatrick is gone. Elliott is back healthy. Ramsey is locked in at a premium salary. And Brisker is entering what many believe could be a breakout season. Bergen went on to explain that the question is not whether this secondary is talented enough, but rather how Graham rotates all three of them in nickel and dime packages to get the most out of every single one. Ramsey is going to play because his salary and his swagger demand it. But getting Elliott and Brisker both on the field at the same time in the right situations could be the thing that makes this secondary one of the best in the entire AFC.
Bergen also made the point that this is a good problem to have. Having too much talent at a position is not something Pittsburgh has been able to say about its secondary in recent years. The post-Fitzpatrick era was supposed to be a concern heading into 2026. Instead the Steelers may have quietly built a secondary that is deeper and more dynamic than anything they had when Fitzpatrick was here at his best. If Elliott comes back truly healthy and plays anything close to the level Bergen says he played in 2024, this group could be a legitimate problem for every offense in the AFC North.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
DeShon Elliott, Darius Slay, and Joey Porter Jr. sit together in the locker room before a regular season game for the Steelers against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2025.
Training camp in Latrobe is going to go a long way toward answering the rotation question Bergen raised. Graham has already shown he is one of the best teachers in the league and getting the most out of three talented defensive backs is exactly the kind of chess match he was built for. The 2026 Steelers secondary might be the most underrated unit on this entire roster.
What do you think about Bergen's claim that Elliott was better than Fitzpatrick in 2024? Let me know on X @hagenbackus94!
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