Buccaneers Coach Courts Steelers Rookie After Joint Practice — But Loyalty Wins

Latrobe, PA – August 2025 – The Pittsburgh Steelers’ joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers provided plenty of highlight plays, but none more dramatic than the scene unfolding off the field. Rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick, drew such attention from Tampa Bay’s staff that head coach Todd Bowles privately floated the idea of bringing him to Florida — with a deal reportedly worth one and a half times his rookie contract.

Bowles couldn’t hide his admiration after watching Harmon dominate the line of scrimmage in drills:

“You see it instantly. He collapses pockets, eats double-teams, and never quits. He’s exactly the type of presence we’ve been missing in Tampa. Any coach would want him.”

But Harmon’s answer was swift — and uncompromising.

“Pittsburgh called my name on draft night. They saw something in me that money can’t buy. This is my home now. I’m here to be a Steeler, and to build something lasting in black and gold.”

The rookie’s words struck a chord with Steelers Nation, already eager to see Harmon anchor the defense alongside veterans like Cam Heyward. Social media buzzed with fans celebrating his loyalty, praising him as “the kind of rookie who already gets what it means to wear the jersey.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin backed his young lineman, noting that choosing loyalty over cash spoke volumes about Harmon’s character:

“Around here, we talk about culture all the time. When a young man turns down more money because he wants to fight for Pittsburgh — that tells you everything you need to know.”

For Tampa Bay, the rejection leaves a lingering sense of what might have been. For Pittsburgh, it cements the arrival of a rookie who isn’t just playing for a paycheck — he’s playing for a legacy.