Steelers place defensive tackle Derrick Harmon on injured reserve, sign corner Sean Murphy-Bunting

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers placed second-year defensive tackle Derrick Harmon on injured reserve Monday.

The club made the move four days after Harmon injured his foot in the first half of a 27-24 loss to Cleveland. Harmon will miss a minimum of four weeks, a significant blow to a defense that's given up several big plays in the run game through the season's opening month.

Harmon, a first-round pick in 2025, had been coming into his own early this season. His strip-sack in the final minutes against Cincinnati on Sept. 27 helped Pittsburgh hold on to beat the Bengals.

“It’s hard to replace somebody of that magnitude in terms Harmon, in terms where he was going in terms of his ascension as a player in the second year,” Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. “But we got guys that are ready to go.”

Harmon's absence likely means more snaps for veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day and perhaps even rookie Gabe Rubio, a sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame, when Jonathan Taylor and Indianapolis (2-2) visit next Sunday.

Less than a week after trading cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas because of a contract impasse, Pittsburgh signed veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting off Tampa Bay's practice squad. Murphy-Bunting last played a regular-season game in 2024 while with Arizona.

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