Joey Porter Jr. has put the Steelers in a spot where words could matter as much as coverage this weekend.
The Pittsburgh cornerback, now in the final season of his rookie contract, said Thursday that he will play this season even though a new deal is unlikely. Porter missed all of training camp and the first two games with a back injury, according to him and the team, and the belief is that the failed extension talks helped keep him off the field.
He didn’t give a timetable for his return, either. When asked whether Sunday would be a good day to make his season debut with Pittsburgh hosting the Cincinnati Bengals, Porter smiled and said he always looks forward to matching up with Cincinnati’s pass catchers.
That confidence carried over when he was asked whether his familiarity with the Bengals would help him get back into form without much of a ramp-up.
"I feel like I have a good indication on [Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins] and what they like to do," Porter Jr. said. "I never really struggled against them. It’s always been fun for me getting out there with them."
That’s the kind of quote that tends to travel fast in a locker room, especially with Chase and Higgins on the other sideline. Porter left open the possibility of playing Sunday, but the expectation is that he probably won’t be in the lineup.
If that’s the case, the Steelers’ secondary will have to answer for the challenge he just laid out. Through two weeks, Pittsburgh owns the NFL’s third-ranked passing defense, giving up 154.5 passing yards per game. But those numbers come with context: the Steelers have faced the Atlanta Falcons, who had Cooper Rush at quarterback, and the New England Patriots, who were without AJ Brown.
This week is a different test entirely. Joe Burrow, Chase, and Higgins bring a much higher level of stress, and Pittsburgh will need to be ready for all of it, with or without Porter on the field.
In Other News...
Joey Porter Jr. Just Sparked A Steelers Debate He Can't Win
Joey Porter Jr. has only been in the league a short time, but he already knows what comes with a Steelers-Bengals week: every comment gets measured against the tape. After recent remarks suggesting he has never really had trouble with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the discussion around his matchup work has only grown louder, because Pittsburgh fans know Cincinnatis top receivers have been central figures in this rivalry for years.
The numbers behind those games paint a more complicated picture for Porter and the Steelers. Across the past three seasons, Chase and Higgins have consistently found production when Porter has been on the field, while his own coverage grades against Cincinnati have bounced around from game to game. It leaves Porter in a familiar spot for a young corner in a division that never lets anyone off the hook: the debate is already bigger than the quote, and the next meeting is the only place he can really settle it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Guard Problem Before Bengals Week
The Steelers found themselves sorting through a new interior line concern this week as rookie guard Gennings Dunker popped up on the injury report with a knee issue ahead of Week 3. Spencer Anderson is still working through a bone break in his leg, though he has been able to practice fully this week, leaving Pittsburgh with a thinner-than-expected group at a spot that usually needs steady rotation and depth.
For now, Brock Hoffman is the only fully healthy guard on the roster, which makes the upcoming matchup with Cincinnati a little more complicated than the Steelers likely wanted. Even with Anderson on the field, the groups availability is suddenly a real storyline heading into a divisional game, and Pittsburgh will be watching closely to see how much it can trust its interior options when the game plan starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Backfield Decision Just Got A Lot More Serious Before Bengals
The Steelers backfield picture got a little murkier this week with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle both limited or missing practice because of injuries, leaving Pittsburgh with fewer clean answers as it prepares for Cincinnati. It is the kind of late-week development that can change how an offense is built, especially when the running game already has to absorb the ripple effects of a crowded injury report.
Pittsburgh has other players showing up as limited or absent, but the running back situation is the one demanding the most attention heading into the Bengals game. Depending on Dowdles availability, the Steelers may need to turn to the practice squad to add depth at the position, which would make Fridays final injury updates especially important. [Read more 🡒]