Derrick Harmon
Getty
Derrick Harmon in an NFL game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a scary moment in their preseason finale when first-round pick Derrick Harmon had to be carted off the field, but the team may have avoided the worst.
The No. 20 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft was taken off the field on a cart after suffering a second-quarter injury against the Carolina Panthers. The team announced afterward that he was ruled out for the game, but they got a positive sign before the final whistle sounded.
While the team had not yet given an official update on the severity of Harmon’s injury, it appears it was not as serious as initially feared. The defensive lineman was seen on the bench near the end of the game, wearing street clothes but showing on obvious signs of impairment from the injury.
While Harmon could still miss time due to the injury, this points to something less severe than a torn ACL that would have wiped out his season.
As Noah Strackbein of SI.com noted, the Steelers could still have to do some shuffling if Harmon were to miss any time.
“The Steelers will hope for the best with Harmon’s injury,” Strackbein wrote. “The rookie is set to start at defensive tackle next to Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton. If he’s forced to miss time, the team will need to turn to veteran Isaiahh Loudermilk at their other defensive tackle. Fifth-round rookie Yahya Black would then become their primary backup across the line.”