Joey Porter Jr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers did not reach a contract extension with CB Joey Porter Jr., and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Porter is unlikely to play against the Atlanta Falcons today, with a back issue that landed him on PUP during training camp cited as the reason. However, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported shortly after Schefter that some members of the Steelers’ organization believe Porter will suit up against the Falcons.
“Despite the ESPN report that it’s “unlikely” Porter will suit up against the Falcons at 1:00 p.m. ET, some within the organization still believe he’ll blink. Regardless of a contract that pays less than $4 million in 2026, Porter is in a contract year. His best play could be to play and to play well, setting the stage for a shot at the open market in 2027 or, worst-case scenario, the franchise tag,” Florio wrote.
If Porter does suit up and play, it could make a trade less likely. Porter reportedly requested a trade and the Steelers are listening to offers, and trading him becomes much more likely if he sits out of games. But if he does play and plays well, it becomes a lot harder for the Steelers to move on from their top cornerback.
On the flip side, if Porter does play well, then it could increase his trade value, and the Steelers could potentially land a first-round pick for him. There are a lot of factors that could go into his decision, and it’ll be interesting to see if Porter’s name is listed among the inactives when they are released at 11:30 EST.
If Porter doesn’t play, CB Asante Samuel Jr. would start. Samuel had a strong training camp and preseason and has been a starting cornerback before, and the Steelers were wise to add plenty of depth at cornerback this offseason. Whether or not they knew then how messy the situation with Porter would get, they put themselves in a position to help mitigate players missing time at the position, and it could pay immediate dividends if Porter does indeed sit out.
If Porter sits out today, he could continue to do so until he’s traded. The Steelers don’t negotiate contracts in-season, and that won’t change. It’s a decision that could have a lasting impact on the Steelers’ season, and we’ll find out sooner rather than later what path Porter takes.