Steelers Rookie's Injury Timeline Revealed

With two weeks left until their regular season opener against the New York Jets, the team’s starting defense is at risk of beginning the season short-handed.

For a team with championship ambitions, a long-term injury to Harmon was devastating, but a short-term one is still very costly. The immediate takeaway is the defensive line loses a starter, but the bigger hit comes beyond the starting 11.

Without Harmon, the pressure and strain on the line depth only increases. Entering the season, the position is one of the team’s deepest, but they had no intentions of testing that immediately. Now, fellow starters Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton will be on the field more. So will rookie Yahya Black and possibly Isaiahh Loudermilk. The depth is still there, but without Harmon it goes from a potential difference-maker to potentially even larger issue.

Further complicating the matter is the uncertainty surrounding top lineman Cam Heyward. The 36-year-old leader of the locker room is seeking a restructured deal, and recently held-in and did not participate in team activities as training camp concluded.

Harmon was the solution to any Heyward problem. If he sat out Week 1, they still had two starters. Now, they are at risk of losing two starters before the regular season begins. The Steelers are hoping and praying this injury continues to be less severe than initially thought, and that the top pick can make it back in time for the regular season opener. That won’t be fully known, however, until this MRI reveals any additional injury concerns for the Steelers.