The first half defensive effort for the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense in the final preseason game left fans frustrated. Despite several starters suiting up, including Jalen Ramsey, the Carolina Panthers drove the field 52 yards to put three points on the board on their first drive, thanks to penalties and poor tackling.
But that frustration quickly turned to concern early in the second quarter, even after a Steelers red-zone interception. During the play that resulted in a pick for cornerback James Pierre, first-round pick Derrick Harmon injured his knee and was carted into the locker room for further evaluation.
At first, the diagnosis seemed grim as Harmon draped a towel over his head. Cameras picked up an emotional look on his face as he left the field, leaving Steelers fans to fear the worst.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans exhale after Derrick Harmon injury update surfaces
Luckily, during the second half, Harmon was seen on the sidelines with his teammates with a more jovial look on his face, which eased the tension. Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed after the game that Harmon’s injury was not as bad as initially feared, saying instead his young defensive lineman had suffered a knee sprain of sorts.
According to Steelers beat reporter Gerry Dulac, Harmon will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of the injury. He adds that Harmon is not expected to miss the season, but he will be out for a few weeks.
With that news, Steelers fans can breathe a sigh of relief. After watching Troy Fautanu, Roman Wilson, and Calvin Austin III all miss practically their entire rookie seasons due to injury, the last thing Steelers Nation wanted to see was Harmon face a similar situation.
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Harmon likely wouldn’t have played much longer after sustaining the injury, but in his stead, Steelers fans got a better look at one of his primary backups. Yahya Black picked up back-to-back sacks early in the third quarter.
But as impressive as the fifth-rounder has been this summer, the first-round pick out of Oregon has been as advertised and then some in the starting lineup. He picked up a sack himself last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finished the preseason with four total tackles.