Steelers’ Derrick Harmon Suffers Medial Collateral Ligament Sprain
Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round rookie, Derrick Harmon, suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain during Thursday night’s preseason game. The recovery time for an MCL sprain varies depending on the severity, but it can generally take several weeks or a month for a player to return. This could make the defensive lineman a candidate for short-term injured reserve, making him eligible to be activated after the team’s Week 4 game against the Vikings in Ireland. The Steelers have a bye in Week 5 and face the Jets, Seahawks, Patriots, and Vikings before the bye. Harmon suffered a knee sprain, when he appeared to fall awkwardly while trying to get to quarterback Jack Plummer in the second quarter of the Steelers’ last preseason game against the Panthers on Thursday night. The injury appeared serious when Harmon was taken to the locker room on a cart with a towel over his head. However, Harmon returned to the bench in the final quarter, laughing as he sat with his teammates. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that Harmon had a knee sprain “of some kind” and would be evaluated further. Additional images from Friday revealed the MCL sprain. Harmon, selected at number 21 in the April draft, had a strong training camp after being named a starter in the minicamp alongside Keeanu Benton and veteran Cameron Heyward in the team’s base defense.The also-rookie Yahya Black, who had two catches, a quarterback hit and two tackles for loss against the Panthers, could be required to be a more important contributor with Harmon’s likely absence.“He’s energetic, he’s competitive, he’s exactly what we thought he was,” Tomlin said during training camp. “Certainly, he’s still developing, acclimating, not only to the professional game, but specifically to the things we’re asking him to do within our scheme.”
Mike Tomlin, Steelers Coach
The absence of Harmon could also affect Heyward, who is seeking a salary increase for the 2025 season. The 36-year-old captain, who has been with the team for a long time, briefly held out during training camp but returned to practice earlier this week and participated in some team periods.“We like Yahya’s progress,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said last week. “He’s not a small man, and when he really learns to use all the tools at his disposal, he’s going to be a load inside.
Teryl Austin, Defensive Coordinator
