Derrick Harmon, the Steelers’ first-round defensive tackle from 2025, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a left foot injury, and honestly, this is a gut punch. The guy was carted off the field on Thursday Night Football during their 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns, and he was later spotted in a protective boot. This isn’t just a minor ding, folks; this could fundamentally change how the Steelers operate on defense.
IR Looms For Harmon As A Key Playmaker Goes Down
Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Harmon is looking at missing multiple weeks, which could easily land him on the injured reserve list. If that happens, he’s out for at least four weeks, minimum. NFL rules state teams can bring back eight players from IR over a season, and the Steelers have already used two of those designations. Harmon’s absence is a serious hit, especially when you think about what he’s done for them already. This is the guy who made the strip sack on Joe Burrow in Week 3, a play that literally sealed their victory. He grabbed three sacks in his rookie year and already had 1.5 through four games this season. He’s not just some body out there; he’s a game-wrecker.
The Run Defense Is About To Get Exposed
Here’s where things get really grim. Harmon came into the league known as a run-stopper, and the numbers scream just how vital he is to that Steelers defensive front. As a rookie in 2025, when Harmon played, the Steelers’ run defense gave up an average of just 91 rushing yards per game. That’s lockdown stuff, right? But in the five games he missed that year due to a knee injury? They were getting absolutely gashed, allowing a staggering 165 rushing yards per game. That’s a 74-yard difference! With Harmon sidelined now, the Steelers are going to have to lean hard on second-year defensive lineman Yahya Black and veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day to step into that starting lineup in their base defense. And get ready to see rookie Gabriel Rubio, who’s been a healthy scratch for the first four games, work his way onto the field. They’ve got big shoes to fill, and the history books aren’t exactly reassuring.
The Steelers are facing a brutal challenge trying to fill a massive hole in their defensive line. The run defense is their Achilles’ heel without Harmon, and if those 2025 numbers are any indication, they’re in for some rough sledding. It’s on Black, Joseph-Day, and Rubio to step up and prove that this isn’t the disaster it feels like, because if they can’t, teams are just gonna run all over them, plain and simple.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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