The Steelers are still waiting on Joey Porter Jr., and the situation around the fourth-year cornerback sounds very much like one that could drag right up to the finish line. Porter gave mixed answers when asked about whether he’ll be on the field for the season opener, and the gap between him and Pittsburgh on a new deal remains.
The sense here is that the longer this goes, the more likely it is to end with the franchise tag if no extension gets done. That would pay him less than the kind of extension he’s currently being offered, which gives his camp a tough decision to weigh.
He has leverage, but most of it appears to sit with the team at this point.
That uncertainty only adds to the questions around a secondary that already has plenty of moving parts. DeShon Elliott is on IR, Jaquan Brikser hasn’t played in a game with these guys, Jalen Ramsey hasn’t either, and Porter has not done much of anything with the group so far.
For years, communication has been one of the biggest problems in this unit, and this setup does nothing to make that easier. The opener against the Atlanta Falcons may look favorable on paper because of the quarterback situation - either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. - but the defensive backfield remains the concern.
Bijan Robinson is still part of the challenge, but the secondary is the bigger storyline as the week one matchup gets closer.
The quarterback room may not stay crowded for long either. There’s been real chatter among NFL beat writers that the Steelers will keep taking calls on Mason Rudolph, which makes sense because teams are always looking for depth there.
The other name worth watching is Will Howard, since it’s fair to wonder whether anyone would ask about him too. Even with that in mind, it feels unlikely the Steelers carry four quarterbacks all season.
Former Steelers linebacker Levon Kirkland also offered his thoughts on leadership in a conversation with The Athletic, and he named the three best leaders he ever played with.
Elsewhere around the team, the preseason snap count remains a concern. Not seeing a number of players in preseason action at all is something worth watching, because the margin for a slow start is too thin. On the offensive line, the right tackle spot is still unsettled in my mind, and my money is on the rookie.
The regular SCB Steelers Podcast returns Thursday at 10pm ET, with the roster, the Porter situation, Broderick Jones and more on the agenda. Next week, the group will roll out its season preview, including NFL predictions and a full slate of Steelers over/unders.
A few other notes from the wider football world: Notre Dame is the pick for the national title in college football, the NFL game in Australia still feels hard to process, Dan Graziano thinks Rico Dowdle will rush for 1,000 yards, and Jaylen Warren might get there too with 17 games on the schedule. Lincoln Riley defended USC, but the reality is that LA crowds are not crowds anywhere else in the country.
In Other News...
Steelers Cut Just Drew Immediate Interest From Another Team
D'Shawn Jamison did not stay on the market long after the Steelers moved on from him during final roster cuts. The cornerback, who has also spent time with the Panthers and 49ers, drew a workout from the Arizona Cardinals and quickly landed a practice-squad spot as teams continue sorting out depth in the secondary.
Arizonas interest makes sense with Will Johnson sidelined by a lower-body injury and five cornerbacks already on the active roster. For Pittsburgh, Jamisons quick landing is another reminder of how fluid the back end of the roster can be once cutdown day passes and teams start looking for experienced cover help. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Quietly Added An Intriguing Edge Rusher To Watch
The Steelers quietly added three players to the practice squad, and one of the more interesting names is Bradyn Swinson, a young edge rusher with some real developmental appeal. Pittsburgh also brought in defensive back Car'Lin Vigers and wide receiver Brandon Johnson, but Swinson stands out because of where he was drafted and the kind of role the Steelers believe he can grow into.
A 2025 fifth-round pick by the Patriots, Swinson spent most of his rookie year on New Englands practice squad and got into three games. For a Steelers team that has long valued pass-rush depth and coaching up athletic defenders, he is the kind of low-risk addition worth monitoring as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Tomlin Finally Revealed What Really Pushed Steelers To Trade Pickens
The Steelers did not move on from George Pickens just because they had a chance to reshuffle the wide receiver room. Mike Tomlin laid out the thinking behind the decision, saying Pittsburgh no longer saw Pickens as a fit for its long-term plans, especially when it came to the leadership expectations that come with a second contract. In that same explanation, Tomlin pointed to DK Metcalf as the kind of player the organization felt more comfortable building around after giving him a major extension.
Pickens time in Pittsburgh had plenty of talent but also enough friction to make the choice easier to understand in hindsight. The fines and on-field incidents that followed him through his Steelers tenure were part of the backdrop, and Tomlins comments made clear those issues mattered when the team weighed what it wanted next at the position. The larger question now is how far Pittsburgh was willing to go to draw that line, and what it says about the standard the front office wants to keep enforcing. [Read more 🡒]