Steelers' Derrick Harmon Reportedly May Only Miss 1 Game Following Knee Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon suffered an MCL sprain during his team's preseason road game at the Carolina Panthers on Friday.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Saturday that it's possible Harmon only misses one game:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted Friday night that Harmon is expected to miss "about a month":

The Steelers selected the former Oregon Duck with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Harmon was a well-regarded draft prospect heading into this year. The B/R NFL Scouting Department ranked him 21st overall on its 2025 big board, and he was just one of 23 prospects to have a grade of 8.0 or higher out of 10.

He stood out at Oregon after transferring to the Ducks following three years at Michigan State, amassing 45 tackles (27 solo) and five sacks in 2024. He helped Oregon go undefeated through the Big Ten Championship Game (13-0) and earn the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

The Steelers' unofficial depth chart has Harmon starting at defensive end. He's surrounded by great talent, including T.J. Watt and Cameron Hayward, and is in position to succeed on a defensive unit that's finished sixth and eighth in scoring defense over the past two years.

Thankfully, Harmon's injury isn't too serious after a scary moment in Carolina made it seem as if something far worse could have occurred. Hopefully Harmon is back ASAP, fulfills his great potential and contributes positively to a promising team looking to improve upon a 10-win season and AFC Wild Card appearance.