Steelers rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon returned to practice this week, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, giving the first-round pick a chance to make his NFL debut in Week 3.
Harmon missed the first two games of the regular season due to an MCL sprain suffered in the preseason. Pittsburgh kept him on the 53-man roster (rather than placing him on injured reserve) with the belief that he would be back within the first four weeks. harmon’s participation in practice this week bodes well for that timeline.
Harmon said (via team writer Teresa Varley) that he is “ready to go,” adding, “my focus is trying to be prepared and make sure I’m healthy enough to get out there.”
Harmon’s return couldn’t come at a better time for a Steelers defensive line that just lost Isaiahh Loudermilk for at least four weeks due to a high ankle sprain. The unit had a rough start to the season even before Loudermilk went down, allowing the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL through two weeks with just 3.0 sacks.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers will be without backup guard Max Scharping for the rest of the season. He tore his during ACL during practice on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He should be placed on injured reserve soon, which will open up a roster spot for a potential replacement or reinforcements to another part of the team.