Steelers rookie Harmon suffers knee sprain: Concern in Pittsburgh

Concern in Pittsburgh: Derrick Harmon suffers knee injury

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Derrick Harmon was carted off the field after suffering a knee injury during the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. After Pittsburgh’s 19-10 victory, coach Mike Tomlin reported that Harmon has a knee sprain and is being evaluated. When asked about the concern that Harmon might have suffered serious ligament damage, Tomlin replied that it is a knee sprain. Harmon’s injury occurred while attempting to get past guard Brandon Walton. Walton pushed him to the ground, and Harmon fell awkwardly on his right side. The pressure forced Panthers quarterback Jack Plummer to throw under pressure, and cornerback James Pierre intercepted it in the end zone. Harmon, visibly affected, was taken to the locker room in a cart, covering his head with a towel. However, he returned to the Steelers’ sideline and sat on the bench in the second half. The player, coming from Michigan State and Oregon, was considered a starter on the defensive line shortly after being selected at number 21 in the April draft.

As a first-round player, being an automatic starter as a rookie, yes, I feel pressure. But I feel that pressure makes diamonds.

Derrick Harmon

Harmon, successor to veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, was recruited for his physique and versatility, and received excellent reviews throughout the preseason. The player recorded his first preseason sack on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The assistant to the general manager, Andy Weidl, commented last week about Harmon: “We believe he has had a very good camp. His explosiveness, his length, his hands, he’s always working his hands. The ability to escape blocks in both phases, the energy with which he comes off the ball, the explosiveness, all those things are… reasons why we recruited him, along with the composition of who he is.”