Mike McDaniel and players respond to DeShon Elliott's comments about 2023 Miami Dolphins being 'soft'
Former Miami Dolphins and current Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott went viral on Wednesday when he was caught on a podcast taking a very strong shot at his ex-teammates. According to Elliott, who signed with Pittsburgh this offseason, the Dolphins' roster last year was mostly made up of players who are soft and not tough […]
Former Miami Dolphins and current Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott went viral on Wednesday when he was caught on a podcast taking a very strong shot at his ex-teammates.
According to Elliott, who signed with Pittsburgh this offseason, the Dolphins' roster last year was mostly made up of players who are soft and not tough mentally. (language warning)
“I haven’t been able to play against Baltimore the way I wanted to because last year, I played for a team that was soft as f—", Elliott said. "Oh my God. I can’t put that on there. That was pretty soft. The guys on the team — there were some guys who were tough — but the majority of the team, there was not mentally tough individuals. So, to be on a full team of mentally tough guys, going against another mentally tough team and AFC North ball, it’s going to be fun.”
Mike McDaniel responded to a question on Wednesday about Elliott's comments, and he took the high road on the subject, as did QB Tua Tagovailoa.
"I am supremely only concerned with the 2024 Dolphins, for sure," McDaniel said. "I think that every team’s ability to be mentally tough in the NFL season is definitely tried, and I think case in point some of the stuff that we’ve been going through. I think our team played a tough fought game the last three weeks and ended up finding a way to win this past week. I think that’s not the easiest thing to do and I’m just worried about this year’s team. You said on a podcast? Cool podcast."
“I would say every man speaks for themselves,” Tagovailoa said. “For him, I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I’ve been able to have a lot of conversations with him last year, but that’s it. Every man has their own voice, and they should be able to speak what they feel. That’s how he feels? Cool. That’s how he feels.
However, not every player was as reserved, particularly those with whom Elliott shared secondary duties last year. DB Nik Needham responded on Twitter calling for Elliott to specify.
Both Kader Kohou and Jevon Holland had strong comments, with Kohou questioning Elliott's toughness while he was in Miami. Holland called for Elliott to put his name on it and identify who he was talking about.
Elliott has appeared in 9 games for the Steelers with 64 total tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. If the Dolphins could rally and get into the playoffs as a wild card with a matchup against the Steelers, Miami's roster would certainly have plenty of bulletin board material for that matchup.
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