PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers shook up their defensive roster ahead of their Week 7 contest against the New Orleans Saints. As the team prepares for an international flight to Paris, France, one of the veteran defenders was informed that he won't be on the flight or on the active roster moving forward.

The Steelers cut safety Rayshawn Jenkins. The 32-year-old former Los Angeles Chargers draft pick played in the first six games of the season during his first season in Pittsburgh.

By releasing Jenkins, the Steelers opened up a vacant spot on their active roster, and there are a few options for how they could fill it.

Elliott Ready to Return?

The most optimistic take from this update is that the Steelers might be getting one of their most important members of the secondary back for their international matchup. Starting safety DeShon Elliott hasn't played in the regular season in nearly a year due to a lower-body injury, and only appeared briefly in the preseason before being placed on Injured Reserve to begin the regular season schedule.

He's the best-case scenario for the Steelers to replace Jenkins. Elliott has plenty of starting experience and playmaking ability to bring the defense to the next level.