Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive end Derrick Harmon is expected to ramp up his physical participation this week as he begins his return from an MCL sprain, a team source told Steelers Now.
Harmon suffered the injury during the Steelers’ preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 21 and didn’t pratice at all in the week leading up to the Steelers’ 2025 season opener against the New York Jets on Sunday.
Harmon is expected to begin working this week, and there is a chance he could return as soon as this Sunday’s home opener against the Seattle Seahawks. It’s probably more likely that he makes his Steelers debut in Week 3, on the road against the New England Patriots.
The rookie has been frustrated by the delayed start to his pro career, but has taken the injury in stride.
“Injuries are part of this game, and at this level, it’s part of what we do,” Harmon said on Aug. 23. “So just trying to keep my hopes up and keep me mentally prepared and mentally focused. … Once I got next to my teammates, they cheered me up, man, and told me to get out of my head.”
Harmon was replaced in the Steelers’ starting lineup by Isaiahh Loudermilk in the opener against the Jets. Loudermilk and the rest of the Pittsburgh run defense struggled against New York, giving up 182 yards rushing to the Jets as a team and 107 to running back Breece Hall, as the Steelers unexpectedly found themselves in a shootout with the Jets. Getting Harmon back sooner rather than later would be a shot in the arm for that unit.
The Steelers did not place Harmon on the injured reserve list when he first suffered the injury, meaning that he is eligible to play as soon as he is medically cleared. They have been carrying eight defensive linemen on their roster to deal with Harmon’s absences, with seven playing on Sunday and the eighth, Esezi Otomewo, a healthy scratch.
Cam Heyward was briefly injured during the Jets game when he was poked in the eye, but he later returned without issue.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Derrick Harmon Expected to Ramp Up Activity, Could Return This Week
