Joey Porter Jr. Elandon Roberts
Joey Porter Jr. Elandon Roberts
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has found himself in the news lately due to the latest developments — or lack thereof — in his contract situation.
No negotiations are happening at the moment, as the team wants Porter to return to practice first, and the franchise hasn’t even offered Porter a deal yet.
DB Jalen Ramsey and former Steelers OLB James Harrison have defended him in recent days as the noise surrounding the young cornerback grows louder with questions about Porter’s future — both short-term and long-term — gaining traction.
Steelers LB Elandon Roberts isn’t worried, though. He doesn’t view the contract situation as a distraction.
“Joey’s a good player. Joey’s a good person on and off the field… He himself is not even a distraction,” Roberts said, according to video via Steelers.com. “We do day-to-day business and stuff like that, and obviously we know when it’s time to ramp it up, Joey will be there.”
Roberts’ comments about his young teammate came just one day after HC Mike McCarthy stated that the Steelers and Porter are at an impasse. The fourth-year pro remains on the Active/PUP list while dealing with a back injury that flared up before training camp began.
Ramsey was activated off PUP on Monday, marking his return to the lineup, but there is no return in sight for Porter. He continues to practice off to the side with other injured players. McCarthy repeated on Tuesday that Porter is dealing with a business situation that’s keeping him out.
One could argue the time to ramp up is now, as training camp is over and the start of the regular season is just under three weeks away.
There are growing concerns that Porter’s stay on the PUP list could continue into the regular season as he seeks a contract extension. If that were to happen, Porter would move to the Reserve/PUP list and miss at least the first four weeks of the season. The Steelers also don’t negotiate contracts during the season, so it would be a significant risk for Porter to pull that card.
Based on Roberts’ comments, that won’t happen. Porter will ramp up soon and prepare for Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium. Hopefully, Porter does so soon and alleviates some concerns about his readiness.