Steelers' Derrick Harmon Worried Knee Injury Was Serious, Says He's 'Frustrated'

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon knows he dodged a bullet but is "definitely frustrated" suffering a reported MCL sprain in Thursday's 19-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.

"I thought it was serious, but it wasn't as serious," he said of the injury, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "But still something [to] get rehab on and that's what my main focus is right now, is just to attack rehab and do what I've got to to get back on the field and help the team."

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Harmon could miss around a month. With that kind of recovery timeline, the Steelers could place him on injured reserve, which would rule him out for a minimum of four games.

The first-round pick cut a forlorn figure as he was riding the medical cart back to the locker room. It was clear in the moment he thought he had suffered a major knee injury.

Missing the first few weeks is obviously less than ideal. Harmon said he was "really excited to get out there in a regular season and compete at a high level."

"And it sucks, but it's part of the game we play," he told reporters. "So just got to attack this rehab."

Assuming Harmon is sidelined for a month at the most, that still leaves a lot of time for him to make an impact up front for Pittsburgh as a rookie.