The Pittsburgh Steelers finished up their preseason campaign with a 19-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers, but they didn’t escape the contest unscathed. During the game, first-round rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon was taken off the field on a cart after suffering a knee injury, worrying Steelers fans everywhere.
After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Harmon managed to avoid a worst-case scenario, as he was simply dealing with a sprain. However, Harmon is going to miss some time, as new details emerged revealing that he is dealing with an MCL sprain that is going to force him to miss about a month of action.
“Steelers first-round DT Derrick Harmon, who was ruled out with a knee injury last night, was diagnosed with an MCL sprain, sources say,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported. “He’s expected to be out about a month, which makes him a candidate to begin the year on IR. But could have been worse.”
Pittsburgh selected Harmon with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with the hopes that he would be a starter for them on their defensive line come Week 1. And while he’s expected to return to action at some point this season, the Steelers are going to have to find out how to get by without him to start the year.
With Harmon out, Cameron Heyward is going to have to shoulder a bigger workload, with Isaiahh Loudermilk and Logan Lee likely to fill in alongside him. Harmon’s injury is certainly a tough blow, but Pittsburgh will have to collect itself and begin preparing for its regular season opener against the New York Jets.
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