Are Steelers fans underrating Joey Porter Jr.?
The Steelers face a big question next season with Joey Porter Jr. heading into a contract year: Is he their top cornerback? Technically speaking, he is now after they moved Jalen Ramsey to safety. But is he a “CB1” in the way most people mean the term when they invoke it? Put another way, on how many teams would he be the best cornerback?
In just seven games, Joey Porter Jr. has already set a new career high with 11 passes defensed. Yes, perhaps a couple of those were passes he should have intercepted. But dropping an interception is still a pass defensed, and better than allowing a catch. He does have one interception, now one in each season of his career to date.
The most significant criticism of Porter’s game is always the penalties, and yes, he has had some this year. None as horrible as the one Bengals game last season, mind you, and on the whole, it’s been better. Coverage-wise, his numbers actually look good. No matter what resource you use, you’ll likely find he has one of the lowest completion percentages allowed in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, he is tied for the fourth-most passes defensed in the league. And everyone else has played at least 10 games, whereas he is at seven.
And Porter hasn’t allowed a touchdown since his rookie season, which is kind of a big deal. The ultimate goal of the defense is to prevent the other team from scoring, and he hasn’t allowed a score. Champ Bailey used to get major kudos for not allowing touchdowns, so why not Porter?
Now, the other matter is quantifying ratings. Yes, some fans have visceral, even emotional, reactions to players when they make mistakes. Yes, Porter has his frustrating moments when he commits a penalty, drops a ball, or misses a tackle. Nobody is mistaking him for a perfect player. But is he in the discussion for being, say, a top-10 cornerback? Maybe top 15?
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
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