Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon thought his first NFL season was over before it even started. He suffered a knee injury in Thursday's 19-10 preseason win versus the Carolina Panthers, looking utterly devastated as he was carted off the field. Later in the game, the first-round pick was seen smiling and laughing with his teammates on the sidelines. When that happened, fans exhaled. He will miss some time, though.
Harmon has an MCL sprain and is expected to be out approximately one month, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Considering the recovery timeline, he could begin the 2025-26 regular season on the injured reserve. Obviously, neither player nor team is happy about that news, but they will take it given how bad the alternative could have been. The rookie out of Oregon and Michigan State was in position to start for Pittsburgh this season before this setback.
When Harmon returns to action, he should quickly get an opportunity to earn an important role with the squad once again. The Steelers used the No. 21 overall draft pick on him for a reason, identifying the 22-year-old as a potential game-changer on their defensive line. They will wait patiently for him to get back on the practice field.
Although he showed flashes of promise with the Spartans, Harmon came into his own with the Ducks. He posted an 88.8 pass-rush grade last season, per Pro Football Focus, and totaled five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four pass breakups in 14 games. He helped Oregon secure the No. 1 seed and Big Ten Championship, before the program fell to eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.
Now, the Black and Gold are trusting him to push them closer to their goal of achieving playoff success. Super Bowl 45 MVP and four-time regular season MVP Aaron Rodgers could make a welcome impact in the offense, and the same goes for new wide receiver DK Metcalf, but great Steelers football is generally predicated on a dominant front-seven. While franchise greats T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward are definitely difference-makers in the trenches, there are still some uncertainties on the D-Line.
When healthy, Derrick Harmon will be tasked with answering some of them.
![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)
