Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin met with the media for his first Tuesday session of the 2025 campaign and provided injury updates on four different players ahead of Week 1.
Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon suffered a knee injury in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, and while there was some concern he might have sustained a significant injury, that turned out not to be the case and he was instead listed as week-to-week initially.
As for outside linebacker Nick Herbig, he has been sidelined since preseason Week 2, when he came down with a hamstring injury that has kept him from fully participating in practice since.
Pittsburgh Steelers injury updates
According to Tomlin, Harmon has already been ruled out for Week 1, and Herbig is currently drawing the questionable tag. Herbig was spotted at practice on Monday, although all he did was warm up.
“Derrick Harmon is the only guy at this juncture that I would characterize as out,” Tomlin told reporters. “I would characterize Herbig as questionable. He had a really good day yesterday. We’ll leave the door ajar for him and see where work leads us during the course of the week. Certainly, his participation and the quality of his participation will be the key variables in terms of our decision-making and if we choose to use him or not.”
Two other players we're keeping an eye on are outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and wide receiver Calvin Austin, both of whom have missed a significant amount of time this offseason due to injury.
While both are fully expected to play, it wasn't clear if either one would be limited. Tomlin put that notion to bed on Tuesday, saying that both would be a full-go on Sunday against the New York Jets.
Austin is slated to play a big role in the Steelers' shaky wide receivers room, where the team doesn't have a sure No. 2 receiver behind DK Metcalf. Roman Wilson is also vying for that role.
Harmon was set to start upfront for Pittsburgh, so losing him for Week 1 is a tough blow. His absence should open up more snaps rookie Yahya Black, who is listed as Harmon's backup on the Steelers' latest depth chart.
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