Joey Porter Jr. seems to be saying something, even if he isn’t spelling it out.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback posted a video on his Instagram story showing him being introduced at Acrisure Stadium before a Steelers game, then added the hourglass emoji. He also let two comments appear on the post: one with the eyeballs emoji and another that said, "BEST IN THE [expletive] LEAGUE."
That comes at a time when contract chatter around Porter has picked up. Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports reported in recent days that the Steelers and Porter Jr. were not close to a new deal and were not expected to finalize one before Week 1 of the regular season. Jordan Schultz added that, with no agreement in place, other NFL teams are interested in the possibility of a trade.
Porter’s post could mean a few different things. At the very least, it reads like a message that he expects to be on the field when the regular season opens.
He’s currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list because of a back injury, according to the team. Some have viewed that as a way for him to stay out of training camp without making it seem like he was holding in.
It could also be Porter’s way of reminding the Steelers what kind of player they have and what he believes he should be paid. The two sides have not made much progress over the summer, and the sense has been that Porter wants more than Pittsburgh is willing to give. The Steelers want to keep him, but not at a number they see as too high.
There is still another possibility: the situation may be moving faster than it looked a few days ago, and a deal could be close. That kind of shift happens quickly in the NFL.
Whatever Porter meant, the conversation around him is heating up. What had been a quiet offseason on the contract front has become much louder, and it may stay that way as Week 1 gets closer.
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For Steelers fans, the more meaningful part was the overall feel of the game, one in which New York controlled the night and walked away with a 17-0 win. CBS Sports later singled out Smith as one of the preseasons biggest winners, a label that will only add a little more attention the next time Pittsburgh sees him across the field. [Read more 🡒]