After 48 hours of reports from outsiders, Mike Tomlin offered his first official word on rookie DL Derrick Harmon’s status two weeks before the start of the regular season. Speaking to the media after Saturday’s practice, Tomlin deemed Harmon “week to week,” as shared by The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo.
Mike Tomlin categorized Derrick Harmon’s sprained knee as “week to week.”
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) August 23, 2025
Harmon suffered a sprained MCL in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. Tomlin’s commentary tracks with reporting from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and the PPG’s Gerry Dulac. Both indicated Harmon avoided a significant injury and could miss one month of action. Dulac reported Harmon isn’t expected to land on injured reserve, and the team thinks he could return September 14 for the Steelers’ home opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
Pittsburgh’s first round pick of April’s draft, Harmon was enjoying a good summer and immediately moved into the starting lineup. Since the spring, he’s worked as the starting left defensive end in the team’s base 3-4 while rotating behind Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton in nickel packages. With Heyward sitting out most of the team periods of training camp due to his contract dispute, Harmon saw additional starting reps.
Harmon is one of three Steelers’ rookies injured during the summer. Sixth-round QB Will Howard broke a finger on his right hand during training camp and missed the entire preseason. Seventh-round CB Donte Kent suffered a right foot injury and did not play in any of the team’s preseason games, just recently returning to practice on a limited basis. It’s another year in which Pittsburgh’s rookie class has faced injuries out of the gate.
Last year, WR Roman Wilson missed nearly the entire summer with an ankle injury, while OT Troy Fautanu sprained his MCL in the preseason opener and dislocated his kneecap in September. In 2023, CB Cory Trice Jr. missed his rookie year with a torn ACL, while WR Calvin Austin III’s rookie year in 2022 was a wash due to a training camp foot injury.
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