Disappointment and pain were visible on Mike Tomlin‘s player, Derrick Harmon‘s face as he was carted off the field. It’s an unfortunate scenario for the Steelers, who saw their player go down with an injury in the preseason finale against the Panthers. And that came with the Steelers’ brilliant win in the preseason game. The crowd present in the Stadium and netizens were equally left concerned after the rookie went down.

It happened early in the second quarter, when Harmon fell to the ground after attempting to tackle Carolina QB Jack Plummer. Steelers medical personnel quickly rushed to the player who grimaced in pain. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, Harmon, who was selected in the first round (No. 21 overall) in the 2025 draft, was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Schefter later shared another update after the game, as the coach explained during the presser, he sprained his knee.

“Steelers HC Mike Tomlin told reporters that first-round pick Derrick Harmon sprained his knee, and the injury still is being evaluated,” Schefter said. The sight of the player’s injury and his reaction on the broadcast was heartbreaking for the fans. Support poured in from fans on social media, wishing the rookie a fast and full recovery.

As per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, Harmon might have to miss a few weeks to recover. “His injury is not season-ending, but he is expected to be out at least a couple of weeks,” Dulac said. The rookie is reportedly scheduled for an MRI tomorrow, which should reveal the extent of his sprain. And this will possibly indicate how many weeks the Steelers might be without him on the field.

In his limited time during the preseason, Harmon showed impressive performance, showing his potential for the team. Last season, across 14 starts for the Ducks, he recorded 45 tackles (11 for loss) and five sacks. As per sources, he is competing for a spot in the front four on the roster. He is a top prospect for the team’s defense, which makes fans’ concerns understandable.

As per the game broadcast, the rookie was later seen sitting on the bench alongside Cam Heyward. However, this time, he was in his street clothes. Regardless, this is good news for the team and the fans after the preseason win.

Mike Tomlin pointed out issues from the preseason finale win

Harmon wasn’t the only one who got hit with an injury. During the game, Brandon Johnson also sustained a foot injury. Later, Tomlin assured that both players were being evaluated. However, aside from these two players and some minor scratches, the team remained largely safe.

Mason Rudolph started the game and played just over a quarter, completing six of eight passes for 36 yards but throwing an interception. Rookie kicker Ben Sauls shone during the game, hitting four field goals, including a 50-yards. Skylar Thompson came off the bench and completed 11 of 13 passes for 152 yards, a touchdown. Logan Woodside completed four of six passes for 38 yards.

However, the coach pointed out that there are still certain issues that need to be addressed. “I thought we were highly penalized. We turned the ball over there early and the tackling was shaky at best at times. I think they had 100 yards rushing at the half, and that’s just kind of indicative of how poor the tackling was at times,” Tomlin said.

Wrapping up the preseason action, the Steelers are now headed to the regular season, where they face the Jets.