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The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Carolina Panthers on the road in both teams' 2025 NFL preseason finale.
There's nothing much on the line for either team, given that it's just a preseason matchup, but unfortunately for Pittsburgh, a projected starter appears to have suffered a concerning injury, with rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon getting carted off the field in the first half of the Panthers game, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic.
Wrote DeFabo on X (formerly Twitter): “Steelers first-round pick Derrick Harmon was carted off the field late in the second quarter, per the TV broadcast. He's been excellent in training camp and was expected to start Week 1.”
Harmon has also already been ruled out for the rest of the contest due to a knee injury, as noted by Steelers senior director of communications Burt Lauten. Before he left the Carolina game, Harmon recorded a tackle.
This is a concerning development for the Steelers, who must be hoping that Harmon's injury isn't serious enough to keep him out for an extended period, especially with Pittsburgh just a little over two weeks away from kicking off its 2025 NFL regular season. The Steelers are scheduled to face the New York Jets on the road on Sept.7.
The 22-year-old Harmon, who was selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 2025 NFL draft by the Steelers, has been turning heads in the offseason with his notable showing in Pittsburgh training camp. He grabbed even more attention in Week 2 of the NFL preseason against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home, where he posted three total tackles to go along with a sack and a quarterback hit, albeit in a 17-14 loss at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
“First sack as a rookie, (it) felt good,” Harmon said after the Buccaneers tilt (h/t Chris Ward of Steelers Now). “It’s the preseason, so just ready to get that one in the regular season. That’s it.”
Harmon, a former Michigan State Spartans and Oregon Ducks star, is expected to give Pittsburgh's defense a boost, but he'll have to get healthy first. In the 2024 campaign, the Steelers allowed 20.8 points per game and 334.3 total yards per contest.
![Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walks on the field during the second quarter of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Tomlin-during-preseason.jpg)
