Exit Meeting: CB Joey Porter Jr.
Experience: 3 Years
Not much is holding Joey Porter Jr. from being one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, but those few things are significant. On the whole, he can perform his most fundamental task: providing strong coverage. He can usually play the run, though he lapses at times. His issues with penalties lessened last season, but he still lacks credible ball skills.
Some cornerbacks can earn an elite reputation with few interceptions. This is because their coverage is so strong that quarterbacks rarely throw in their direction. Porter sees targets, and he makes plays on balls. The problem is that he struggles to finish them, having a few dropped interceptions.
A 2023 second-round pick, Joey Porter has been a full-time starter for the majority of his career. The Steelers initially worked him in slowly, but once he established himself, they didn’t shy away from handing him the premium assignments he requested.
The 2025 season was Porter’s best, including a career-high 14 passes defensed. But he remains stuck on one interception each season, when he could have had three or four. His tackling efficiency remains an intermittent issue. Yet when he is on his game in that respect, he can deliver some impressive finishes.
According to Pro Football Reference, last season, Joey Porter Jr. allowed 32 receptions on 66 targets for just 333 yards. He has not allowed a touchdown since his rookie season, finishing 2025 with 5.0 yards allowed per target.
Going into his fourth season, he is now in a contract year. I imagine the Steelers will want to sign him to a long-term extension, but at what value? As with so many players, the sudden regime change clouds the issue. Will Mike McCarthy and his staff value Porter as highly as Mike Tomlin’s did?
One thing there’s no doubt about is that Porter is their clear-cut No. 1 CB. Last year, they tried the veteran route with Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey. Slay struggled to the point that they cut him. While the Steelers didn’t move Ramsey to safety directly because of his play at cornerback, it also didn’t discourage them from doing that. Right now, their alternatives are Asante Samuel Jr. and James Pierre, both pending free agents.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at home, the inevitable result ofanother early playoff exit. This is a recurring pattern for the organization, but major change is coming. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we willgo down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? The resignation of Mike Tomlin makes those questions much more difficult to answer, but much more important. We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
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