Derrick Harmon is trending toward a return, but the Steelers still have one more hurdle to clear before Sunday night’s game against Cincinnati: the roster math.
Harmon was a full participant Friday and is listed as questionable with a foot injury after missing four games. He’s already back on the practice field, but that doesn’t automatically put him on the active roster. Pittsburgh still has to decide whether to make the move from injured reserve and create room for him before kickoff.
That decision matters because Harmon isn’t just a depth piece. He already flashed against the Bengals once this season, when his strip-sack of Joe Burrow helped finish off Pittsburgh’s 30-27 win in September. When he’s healthy, he gives the Steelers disruption in the middle, not just another lineman eating snaps.
The timing is tricky. Sebastian Joseph-Day’s triceps injury opened the door for Gabriel Rubio, and Pittsburgh already has Keeanu Benton and Cameron Heyward carrying plenty of the load inside. Bringing Harmon back would change the rotation and give Patrick Graham more options to pressure Burrow, who can carve up a defense when he has time.
The Steelers opened Harmon’s 21-day practice window Wednesday, but they don’t have to activate him right away. If they do, they’ll need a corresponding roster move, which means weighing whether another defensive lineman is worth the shuffle at this point.
Elsewhere on the injury report, DeShon Elliott moved from limited Wednesday to full participation on Thursday and Friday, and he carries no game designation. After his recent injury issues, that’s a strong sign he should be ready for a secondary that will be tested by Cincinnati’s passing game.
Ben Skowronek, Brandin Echols and Doneiko Slaughter also finished the week with full participation. T.J.
Watt, Darnell Washington and Heyward were full participants Friday after rest days earlier in the week. For a Steelers team heading into a matchup with a Bengals offense that can punish a single mistake, getting those names back on track was a good sign.
If Harmon isn’t activated before the game, Rubio and the current defensive line group will be the ones handling Cincinnati without him.
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