Steelers Now
CHARLOTTE — With his fellow rookie defensive lineman out, Yahya Black showed what he can do. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ fifth-round draft pick notched sacks on two consecutive plays in the third quarter of the team’s preseason road game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. He also displayed a laugh-inducing celebration after the first.
The Steelers’ first-round draft pick, Derrick Harmon, left the game and was carted off during the second quarter. He was ruled out for the night with a knee injury.
After sacking Bryce Perkins for an 8-yard setback on a 2nd-and-9, Black looked toward the sideline and rubbed his rotund stomach, which he lets spill out of a No. 78 practice jersey a size or two too small for him. The next play, Black got to Perkins and jarred the ball loose. Perkins picked it back up before Julius Welschof forced another fumble, recovered by Mark Robinson.
Yahya Black has an belly rub ELITE celly 🤣 pic.twitter.com/TU4VCdVrAz
— Steelers Landing (@steelerslanding) August 22, 2025
“We like Yahya’s progress,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said on Monday. “As you guys know, he is not a little man. When he really learns how to use all the tools at his disposal, he’s going to be a load inside.”
Black could find himself playing nose tackle down the road. He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 335 pounds, but is more athletic than his stature would suggest.
“He’s a little bit more agile than what people probably give him credit for. Which allows him to play out at the (four technique) and allows him to do some of the stuff in our base defense,” Austin said. “I think he’ll be able to move anywhere in the interior. He’s a big man, he’s hard to move.”
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Charlotte.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Rookie DL Gets First Sack, Hits Hilarious Celebration
