Steelers Take Bold Stance On Derrick Harmon: "They Have That Much Belief"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten younger in recent years, and General Manager Omar Khan and his staff have done a fantastic job of building the roster through the draft. Pittsburgh has already given out two contract extensions to guys from the 2023 class, with one or two more likely coming before the season begins. The 2024 class is expected to bring in a lot of money as well with the trio of players from that year on the offensive line, and the 2025 class is looking to take another step forward as well. That class is led by defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, and he is considered a breakout candidate for the 2026 season.

The Steelers drafted Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 21st overall selection. He played his college football at Michigan State and then Oregon, and he addressed a need for youth and depth on the defensive line in Pittsburgh. He had a couple different injuries during his rookie season, and he started just eight games while playing in 12. He recorded three sacks on the year to go along with 27 total tackles, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.

It is fair to say that his presence was felt more than the stats show, and he should be more dominant with a fully healthy season. Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday morning and shared how the team feels about Harmon after saying he is a breakout candidate.

"He had a good rookie season, but he was hampered by injuries," Fittipaldo said. "I know that was frustrating for him -- not to have one, but two injuries that caused him to miss five or six games. So he's the future, right? Cam Heyward keeps coming back, but eventually Derrick Harmon is going to be the anchor of that defense. They have that much belief in him. There's more to tap into there. I think his pass rush could be better than it was last season. The injuries definitely factored into that. For a big man, he has a ton of athleticism to him. I kind of want to see what happens in a healthy season for Derrick Harmon, what kind of numbers could he put up?"

The expectations are high for Harmon with a fully healthy season, and he is expected to be a major contributor when it comes to the pass rush and stopping the run. The organization clearly has a ton of belief in him.

Fittipaldo mentioned how Cam Heyward continues to come back despite the fact that he is getting up there in age. He is having one of the best stretches of his career, so there is no reason for him to retire if he wants to continue playing, but the organization is going to expect Harmon to take over that role as soon as Heyward is done playing. Harmon is going to have to prove he will have the ability to do so over the next couple of seasons.

Steelers Could Keep Cam Heyward Around For Two More Seasons

Heyward signed a one-year extension with the Steelers that keeps him under contract through the 2027 season, but he could absolutely be released during the 2027 offseason. The dead cap charge is not much and the Steelers would save money, but if he performs in 2026 the way he has in recent years, that would be silly to do.

There is a chance that Heyward could play alongside Harmon throughout the first three years of his rookie contract, or even longer. That would probably be an ideal scenario if Heyward can keep up his level of play, but many fans should also be excited for the day when Harmon is the main leader on the defensive line.

What do you expect from Harmon during his second season in the NFL? What do you expect from Heyward? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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