Deshon Elliott calls out former team members for not being "mentally tough"
DeShon Elliott, the Pittsburgh Steelers safety, has not held back on criticism of his former team, the Miami Dolphins. In a recent appearance on "The Punch Line Podcast" with Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, Elliott shared a scathing assessment of his former teammates. He went to the extent of labeling them "soft as f**k."
DeShon Elliott, who spent the 2023 NFL season with the Dolphins, made his comments in the context of looking forward to facing the Ravens. It's a team he felt he couldn't play to his full potential against last year due to the "softness" of the Dolphins.
"This would be very fun. I haven't been, I haven't been able to play against Baltimore the way I wanted to, because last year, I played up for a team that was soft as f**k. I mean, oh my God, I can't put on that. That was pretty soft, the guys on the team, but there were some guys who were tough, but like for the majority, majority of the team, there was not mentally tough individuals," Elliott revealed on the podcast.
DeShon Elliott's harsh words have generated significant attention and sparked a debate about the state of the Dolphins' roster and team culture. The safety's transition from Miami to the hard-nosed Steelers has seemingly provided him with a fresh perspective on what it means to be a mentally tough team in the NFL.
"To be on a team with the full team of mentally tough guys going against another mentally tough team and AFC North ball, it's going to be fun, man," Elliott added.
DeShon Elliott blasts the Dolphins' apparent mental toughness struggles
DeShon Elliott's criticism of the Dolphins' lack of mental fortitude is not the first time this issue has been raised about the team. Even before Elliott arrived in Miami, current Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer alluded to the team's tendency to "fold" when facing adversity.
"Over the past few years, playing against this team (the Dolphins), you get a sense that if you get on top of this team, they might fold," Poyer said earlier this season, hinting at the need for improved mental resilience within the organization.
While McDaniel chose not to engage directly with Elliott's comments, simply stating:
"He said that on a podcast? Cool podcast"
The Dolphins made several key offseason additions, including the signings of safeties Jordan Poyer and Marcus Maye. These moves were seen as a conscious effort to inject more veteran leadership and proven mental resilience into the roster.
As the Dolphins continue to navigate their challenging 2024 campaign, the organization's ability to foster a culture of mental fortitude and resilience might be crucial in determining the team's long-term success.