Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. “definitely” sees himself playing at some point this season.
When that is, even Porter doesn’t know, though he didn’t rule out making his 2026 debut on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The fourth-year pro sat out each of Pittsburgh’s first two games. Coach Mike McCarthy held him out of the opener against the Atlanta Falcons, which McCarthy said was his decision. Porter then watched a loss in New England to the Patriots last weekend from the sideline because of back pain.
All of it has been set against a backdrop of stalled contract negotiations between Porter and the club. The son of former NFL linebacker and Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter Sr. is entering the final season of the four-year rookie deal he signed in 2023 and wants a raise that makes him among the highest-paid players at his position.
Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan has said repeatedly the team “loves” Porter, but the two sides were unable to come to terms on a new contract and any talks about an extension won’t begin until the offseason, if they’re even held at all.
“I know you guys are tired of it, and I am too,” Porter said Thursday. “So … I mean all my emotions already came and went.”
Porter, who hasn’t allowed a touchdown as a primary defender since 2023, denied reports that he asked for a trade. He called the inability to sign an extension “old news” and is focused on trying to get healthy.
Pittsburgh selected Porter with the No. 32 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The Steelers to a man have defended him throughout the process, and the secondary could certainly use his 6-foot-2 frame on Sunday when Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and unbeaten Cincinnati (2-0) visit.
“This game I’d really like to come back for considering [Chase] is on the opposite side,” Porter said. “Yeah, you know, it’s always a good matchup with the Bengals and what they got over there, their talent. And I always want to sharpen iron on iron.”
Asked if he felt his conditioning was good enough to see the field against Cincinnati, Porter shrugged.
“I don’t know,” Porter said. “We still got two more days to practice. … I just know I did everything today and it went smooth. So we’re going to just keep working.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
