Derrick Harmon injury update: Steelers rookie leaves preseason finale after hurting knee

The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing in their final preseason game before the lights officially come on. Unfortunately, there might be an injury to deal with moving forward with one of their rookies. Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon had to leave Friday night’s game.

Harmon has since been ruled out after hurting his knee, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The severity of the injury has not yet been revealed. For now, the Steelers will hold their breath and hope Harmon is okay.

“Steelers first-round DT Derrick Harmon injured his knee tonight vs. Carolina and is out,” Schefter said via X.

Pittsburgh put some quality draft capital into Harmon, selecting him with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The hope is he can become a quality player in the middle of the defensive line, continuing a great tradition within the Steelers organization.

This comes after a quality career in the collegiate ranks. Most recently, with the Oregon Ducks and helping them win the Big Ten. Before then, Harmon played for the Michigan State Spartans before entering the NCAA transfer portal. The move ultimately paid off, recording 45 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, and five sacks — all of which were career highs.

If similar stats can come in the NFL, Harmon will be one of the best out there. Hopefully, there is no injury to worry about early on.

Cam Heyward ends hold-in with Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward has returned to practicing fully with the team, ending his hold-in. It had been two weeks since Heyward practiced in pads or joined the team for the full extent of practice as he seeks a new contract, but that changed Tuesday according to coach Mike Tomlin.

ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported that there has still not been any progress made toward a new contract for Heyward. Heyward received $13.45 million of his $14.75 million in compensation for 2025 via a roster bonus, and he is under contract for $14.5 million for the 2026 season. Most of that deal is also set to come as a roster bonus with none of it being guaranteed.

Heyward’s current deal pays an average of $14.5 million per year, which puts him at 22nd among defensive tackles and 36th among all defensive linemen. He issued a formal request to the front office to renegotiate the deal in February and began sitting out of practice around two weeks ago on Aug. 7.

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report