The Pittsburgh Steelers officially activated defensive tackle Derrick Harmon from the Reserve/Injured list ahead of Sunday night’s AFC North showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
To create room on the active 53-man roster, Pittsburgh released defensive back Terrell Smith on Saturday afternoon. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Harmon is trending toward playing at Paycor Stadium after logging a full practice on Friday. Although he carries a questionable game status due to his foot injury, activating him signals strong optimism for his return.
The Steelers enter Week 10 riding a four-game winning streak with first place in the division on the line. Getting their 2025 first-round draft pick back on the field provides a timely boost against Cincinnati‘s explosive offense.
How impactful is Derrick Harmon?
Before suffering his foot injury in Week 4 against Cleveland, Harmon established himself as a disruptive force along Pittsburgh’s defensive front. Across four early appearances, the second-year lineman recorded 12 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble.
Derrick Harmon will play on Sunday. Huge for Steelers.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) November 14, 2026
Harmon’s rare combination of interior power and pass-rushing quickness collapses pockets and frees up one-on-one matchups for veteran stars Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt. Through 16 career NFL games, he has accumulated 39 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Steelers probable defensive lineup vs Bengals
Pittsburgh enters Sunday night with a remarkably clean defensive injury report following its Week 9 bye. Key veterans TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward, and DeShon Elliott all practiced fully on Friday without game designations, leaving Harmon as the lone defender listed as questionable.
- Derrick Harmon – Defensive Tackle
- Cameron Heyward – Defensive Tackle
- Keeanu Benton – Defensive End
- T.J. Watt – Outside Linebacker
- Alex Highsmith – Outside Linebacker
- Patrick Queen – Inside Linebacker
- Payton Wilson – Inside Linebacker
- Asante Samuel Jr. – Cornerback
- Jalen Ramsey – Cornerback
- DeShon Elliott – Safety
- Jaquan Brisker – Safety
Key takeaways
- The Pittsburgh Steelers activated Derrick Harmon from the Reserve/Injured list ahead of Sunday’s game.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers released defensive back Terrell Smith to create active roster space.
- Derrick Harmon recorded 12 total tackles and 1.5 sacks across four early appearances.
