Porter is not currently at 100 percent but is gradually improving from a persistent back injury that sidelined him for all of training camp. He's also still trying to work his way into football shape after spending the summer preparatory period on the physically unable to perform list.
This isn't a matter of simply taking a few days off to get right; it's a complex, multi-faceted situation that should benefit from a longer timeline to return, even if that clashes with the win-now environment that is the NFL regular season.
"It's both," Porter, who was limited again in Thursday's practice, said of his injury and his conditioning. "My back has its moments where it flares up here and there. We're still just trying to get my conditioning down to me just being out there as much as possible. It's really just both."
Porter said he'll "definitely" play at some point this season but wasn't willing to commit or comment on an outlook beyond Thursday. He did toss in some good news, though: His absence hasn't strained his relationship with his teammates.
"No, I love all my guys, and my guys love me too," Porter said. "So they're here for me, and I'm there for them. I'm just trying to be a good motivator to all the young guys and even the O.G.'s in here."
Those teammates will continue to carry on without him. Hopefully, it won't be too long before he rejoins them.
Porter's Steelers (1-1) [host](https://www.nfl.com/games/bengals-at-steelers-2026-reg-3?tab=overview) the rival Bengals (2-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.