Jul 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay (23) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Defense Suffers Several More Injury Blows

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 12:22 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin provided a long list of injury updates before the team faces the New England Patriots in Week 3.

During his weekly press conference, Tomlin first noted that rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (knee) and safety DeShon Elliott (knee) are both improving, but their game status can best be described as questionable at this moment in time. The same goes for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who is battling a hamstring injury.

On the flip side, Tomlin stated that defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk will not play against New England with a high ankle sprain he suffered in Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and that it'll take weeks for him to return.

Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith is also dealing with a high ankle sprain that he sustained vs. Seattle and thus has been ruled out for Week 3, though his injury isn't as severe as Loudermilk's.

Inside linebacker Patrick Queen (oblique) and cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (shoulder) also picked up injuries against Seattle, though they're currently in line to play against the Patriots despite likely being limited in practice to begin the week.

The fact that Elliott is already closing in on a return is quite promising for Pittsburgh considering he sprained his MCL just over a week ago, and his presence is much-needed at the back-end of the team's defense as the unit relies on the likes of Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers while he's on the mend.

There was some initial fear that Highsmith's ailment would lead to a long-term absence, though he's expected to avoid a trip to the reserve/injured list after side-stepping a serious injury.

Though it's unknown if Porter Jr. will play or not against New England, he'd provide a boost to the Steelers' secondary next to Slay and Jalen Ramsey. The same goes for Harmon, who will likely fill a huge role up front for a defensive line that's struggled in the early goings of the year once he's ready to make his regular season debut.

Pittsburgh's defense is incredibly short-handed at the moment given all of the injuries it is dealing with, and that's shown in its performance vs. the Jets and Seahawks, but there's some hope that reinforcements are on the way.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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