Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. suffered an injury in the second quarter of the team’s Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears. Porter was slow to get up after breaking up a screen pass, and while he got to his feet and walked off the field, he motioned to the sideline for a substitute and didn’t return for the remainder of the drive.
Per Steelers’ senior director of communications Burt Lauten, Porter has a leg injury and is questionable to return.
#Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. has a leg injury and is questionable to return to today's game.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) November 23, 2025
Porter missed three games earlier this season with a hamstring injury, but he’s started in every game since Week 6. With Porter out, it will lead to more snaps for CB Darius Slay, who started this game on the bench with James Pierre getting snaps opposite Porter on the outside and Brandin Echols playing in the slot. The Steelers didn’t elevate another cornerback to the active roster, so the Steelers don’t have a true backup cornerback to play the outside if Slay or Pierre go down and Porter doesn’t return.
Jalen Ramsey could move from safety, and Chuck Clark is also capable of playing in the slot, but the Steelers are thin at cornerback. Porter has been the team’s top cornerback and played well recently, and losing him is a blow for the defense.
Porter had two tackles prior to exiting. This season, he has 27 total tackles, 11 pass breakups and an interception. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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