The Steelers got hit with the kind of injury update that can force a team to change its plans fast.
According to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport, Pittsburgh expects Derrick Harmon and Jamel Dean to miss multiple weeks. Harmon went to the locker room on a cart after suffering a foot injury, while Dean was limping on the sideline after hurting his ankle. He was later spotted in a walking boot in the locker room.
The timing is rough for a defense that has been trying to settle itself after back-to-back shaky outings. Harmon had become an important part of that effort. He was Pittsburgh’s best run defender and came up with big stops in key moments, including the play that helped seal the win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Losing Harmon does create a hole, but it’s one the Steelers can at least patch from within. Keeanu Benton and Yahya Black should see more snaps, Sebastian Joseph-Day can come off the bench, and rookie Gabe Rubio may be called on for the first time, though the team won’t need a heavy workload from him.
Dean’s absence is the bigger headache.
With Joey Porter Jr. already out of the picture after the team traded him, Pittsburgh now has a thin cornerback room to work with. Asante Samuel Jr. has struggled, and third-round rookie Daylen Everette is next in line. That puts the Steelers in a spot where they may have to keep testing options just to hold things together on the outside.
Samuel Jr. and Everette should get the first shot, but Brandin Echols may also need a look on the outside. If that doesn’t solve it, the Steelers may have to go shopping.
Teams like the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and maybe the Tennessee Titans could be worth calling, with Cam Hart, Kamari Lassiter and Cor’Dale Flott mentioned as possible answers. Pittsburgh can’t afford to let the passing game keep attacking that side of the field while waiting for the problem to fix itself.
Even before this injury news, the Steelers weren’t getting Joey Porter Jr. back this season. Now the possibility of a second cornerback trade sits right in front of them. If they still believe this season is wide open, they may need to act like it.
In Other News...
Steelers Let A Young Starter Slip Away Over One Familiar Rule
Joey Porter Jr. had become one of the more intriguing young pieces on Pittsburghs defense, but contract talks never moved far enough to keep him in black and gold. The Steelers put a long-term extension on the table that averaged $28 million per year, yet the structure stopped short of guaranteeing money beyond the first year, a familiar line for a team that has long guarded itself against heavy long-term risk.
That approach eventually pushed Porter into a holdout and then out the door entirely, with Pittsburgh sending him to Dallas for a second-round pick and a conditional sixth-rounder. The Cowboys are expecting him to help once he gets past a back injury, while the Steelers are left to wonder whether staying loyal to one organizational rule cost them a young starter with real value. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Tackle Panic May Be Missing The Bigger Long Term Story
The Steelers front has become an early talking point because the pass protection has been under real stress, with 13 sacks allowed through four games and a pressure rate that has left little room for comfort. Still, the line picture is not as simple as a weekly panic over the tackles, because Troy Fautanu has settled in at left tackle and shown steady improvement, giving Pittsburgh at least one spot where the trend line is moving the right way.
Max Iheanachors rookie season has been more uneven, but the first-round pick remains part of the long-term answer at right tackle even with some growing pains along the way. For a team trying to stabilize its offense, the bigger question may be whether the Steelers are looking at a temporary protection problem or a young tackle group that could matter more in the months ahead than it has in the early going. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers WR Problem Runs Deeper Than A Marvin Harrison Jr. Fix
The Steelers wide receiver issues looked bigger after the loss to Cleveland, and it is hard to ignore the conversation that followed about whether outside help is needed. Marvin Harrison Jr. has been floated as a possible trade target from Arizona, which makes sense on paper for a team searching for more juice at the position, but the fit is not nearly as clean as the name value suggests.
Pittsburghs problem is less about simply adding a talented receiver and more about finding the right type of receiver for what keeps stalling the offense. Harrison could absolutely benefit from a change of scenery, but the Steelers appear to need someone who can better handle man coverage and give them a different answer than the one they have now. [Read more 🡒]