What are the Steelers’ plans for cornerback across from Joey Porter Jr.?
The Steelers got out of Joey Porter Jr. the No. 1 CB they hoped for, but they have had a revolving door across from him. As a rookie, he had Patrick Peterson, followed by Donte Jackson. Last year, he started with a blend of Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey. By midseason, it was James Pierre, and later still, Asante Samuel Jr., an in-season signing.
So what are their actual plans this year, especially in light of how poorly their recent plans worked? Mike Tomlin, of course, was the Steelers’ head coach when they paired Porter with a series of washed-up starters. But the front office is still, largely, the same.
With Porter going into his fourth season now, the Steelers surely don’t feel they need a big brother looking over his shoulder. And either way, assuming they retain him, they have that in Jalen Ramsey. But will Ramsey return to the cornerback role this offseason, or stay at safety? Both Pierre and Samuel are pending free agents—will they re-sign one or both? Or neither?
Pittsburgh does not have a hearty pipeline of cornerbacks behind Joey Porter Jr. It hoped to develop Cory Trice Jr., a former seventh-round pick who is habitually ailing from one injury or another. The Steelers drafted Donte Kent last year, also injured—and also not really an outside cornerback. So what are they to do?
Asante Samuel Jr. is the most interesting name, to me, a former starter for the Chargers before a career-threatening neck injury that bled into the 2025 season threw him a curveball. He chose to sign with the Steelers to have an in, but what do they plan for him? He is free to hit the open market, but after most of a year off, what is his market value? Do teams view him as an unquestioned starter?
The Steelers didn’t even use Samuel as such a player; in fact, they played James Pierre across from Porter. It was Pierre himself dealing with injuries that helped earn him eventual playing time. But who, ultimately, will play across from Porter? Could they end up going all the way back to Ramsey? Might they sign somebody else entirely in free agency, especially if Samuel is too pricey?
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017. With seven consecutive postseason losses and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for the Steelers and us, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you cover loses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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