Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin ruled out three players for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks — defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee), strong safety DeShon Ellott (knee) and linebacker Malik Harrison (knee).
Tomlin says he’s “optimistic” about cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) playing against the Seahawks. Likewise for outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring), who was inactive against the Jets. Herbig suffered the hamstring injury in the Steelers’ second preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Steelers now know what safety DeShon Elliott’s injury is after he left Sunday’s 34-32 win against the New York Jets. Elliott, a seventh-year pro, is dealing with an MCL sprain, but the duration of his absence is unclear.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport characterized it as a day-to-day injury. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Elliott’s “injury absence shorter term as of now. Don’t know an exact timetable.”
Elliott suffered the injury when another player rolled into the side of his left leg on a Breece Hall run during the second quarter of the win. Elliott got to his feet, but threw his helmet in frustration as the Steelers’ training staff approached. He walked to the blue medical tent on the sideline on his own, but exited with a limp and no helmet.
Porter entered the blue medical tent during the third quarter of the team’s clash against the Jets on Sunday afternoon.
He exited the tent and was jogging on the sidelines, but didn’t have his helmet. He then re-entered the tent, came out and sat on the bench.
Inside linebacker Malik Harrison suffered a knee injury as his team tried to keep New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields out of the end zone on a fourth-quarter fourth-and-goal on Sunday.
Harrison was soon ruled out for the remainder of the regular-season opener as the Steelers trailed the hosts by a point. Isaiahh Loudermilk would’ve been the Steelers’ emergency outside linebacker if the team suffered another injury at the position.
Fields’ bootleg fooled the Steelers’ entire defense, which was missing veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward, who’d walked to the sideline with an injury to his face after the prior play. Heyward returned to the field for an unsuccessful Jets 2-point try.
Harmon is expected to ramp up his physical participation this week as he begins his return from an MCL sprain.
Harmon suffered the injury during the Steelers’ preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 21 and didn’t practice at all in the week leading up to the Steelers’ 2025 season opener against the Jets on Sunday.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Rules Out Three Players vs. Seahawks
