Steelers Now
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is famously patient when it comes to his rookie players and getting them adjusted to the NFL level. But on Sunday in New England, he just couldn’t hold Derrick Harmon back.
Harmon, the team’s first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, suffered an MCL sprain in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers in late August. Sunday’s Week 3 contest was at the very beginning of the window for his return, but Harmon was determined and steadfast in every interview he gave this week that he’d be playing against the Patriots.
Not only did Tomlin let his rookie play, he played well. Harmon had a sack and two tackles while playing on a limited snap count.
“I was appreciative of his efforts,” Tomlin said. “Excited for him. He’s a competitor. He wanted to be out there with his teammates. I thought he represented himself well today and so it’s just upward and onward from here.”
Judging by their performance the first two weeks, his teammates needed the help. After giving up 100 yards to back-to-back starting running backs the last two weeks, the Steelers were looking for a spark on their defensive front, and they might’ve found it in Harmon.
“It felt good to be back with the guys and just competing at a high level again,” Harmon said. “It’s very frustrating. … It was a bummer, but I know it’s part of the story part of the process. I felt good, felt good. Just got to keep stacking these and get better. It felt great, the D-line was rushing together as a unit, that’s what we need every game for the whole D-line to rush as well.”
So after allowing both Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III to go off for 100 yards and combining for zero sacks from the defensive line in the first two weeks, they held Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson to a combined 46 yards on 15 carries and also sacked Drake Maye twice, once by Harmon and once by Cam Heyward.
That’s a big turnaround for the defensive line, and Harmon is just getting started.
“D-Harm balled out today,” Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt yelled across the locker room as Harmon was wrapping up his postgame conversation with the media.
With limited reps, Harmon didn’t start the game, letting fellow rookie Yahya Black earn his first career start, and played only sparingly throughout. Now, he’s looking forward to seeing what kind of impact he can make in a full game next week against the Minnesota Vikings.
“Most definitely,” Harmon said. “Get out, get some reps in practice, come out next week and really dominate again.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Derrick Harmon Ready to Dominate after Stellar Steelers Debut
