The Pittsburgh Steelers’ run defense hit a wall in Week 13 - and the Buffalo Bills ran right through it. After holding the Bears to under 100 rushing yards just a week earlier, Pittsburgh gave up a staggering 249 yards on the ground to Buffalo, allowing 4.9 yards per carry. The defensive line was outmatched from the start, and one absence stood out: rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
Harmon, the Steelers’ first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has shown flashes of exactly why Pittsburgh invested a top pick in him. When he’s on the field, there’s a noticeable difference in how the Steelers defend the run. He brings size, athleticism, and a disruptive presence in the trenches that Pittsburgh has sorely missed when he's sidelined.
But therein lies the problem - staying on the field.
On Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Harmon will miss his second straight game due to a knee injury, ruling him out for the team’s critical Week 14 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a tough blow for a defense that just got gashed and now has to face Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry - a backfield duo that thrives on punishing defenses that can’t hold their ground.
This isn’t Harmon's first injury setback, either. He missed the first two games of the season after spraining his MCL during the preseason finale against the Panthers.
That came after some teams reportedly flagged him for knee concerns during the pre-draft process. Add in a shoulder injury from his college days at Oregon, and it’s fair to say the injury history is starting to pile up early in his NFL career.
For Pittsburgh, the timing couldn’t be worse. Sitting at 6-6 after a 26-7 loss to the Bills, the Steelers are teetering on the edge of playoff contention.
Every game from here on out carries serious weight, especially divisional matchups like this upcoming one against Baltimore. Harmon’s absence leaves a sizable hole in the middle of a defense that needs to be at full strength to slow down one of the league’s most dynamic rushing attacks.
Now, this doesn’t mean the Steelers should hit the panic button on Harmon just yet. Rookie seasons can be rocky, especially for linemen adjusting to the physical demands of the NFL.
Sometimes, injuries are just bad luck. But the early pattern is hard to ignore - and the Steelers will need to monitor it closely moving forward.
Harmon has the tools to be a foundational piece of this defense. But for now, availability is the biggest hurdle. And as Pittsburgh fights to stay alive in the playoff race, they’ll have to do it without one of their most promising young defenders on the field.