PITTSBURGH --Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is vowing to change his game after an NFL-high 17 penalties against him in 2024.
Porter Jr. acknowledged his penalty issues in 2024 were a problem. The Steelers sat him down and wanted him to work through that this offseason. Porter does not think it requires a drastic change, but little things that add up on film.
“It’s really about cleaning up the little stuff I watched on tape,” Porter said. “When I go back on tape, there’s nothing really drastic that sticks out. There’s nobody out there beating me by yards. There’s little things to clean up in my technique. I feel like I’ve been working on that during this offseason, so I’m really excited to put that on tape.”
Porter said that the little things were all technique- and trust-based. He has great natural physical tools, but a lot of Porter’s penalties came in bunches, and some of that might be mental throughout a game where it can snowball. He was called for 17 penalties, but 14 of those came in four games.
“There was a little thing, like just clean up the penalties. I feel like that’s the main thing for me, just clean up the little penalties. I looked at the tape, it’s not as bad as I think it was. They’re just like little things I need to work on and I’ve been in the lab working on that. So, I’m just really ready to put that out there,” Porter said.
It seems that Porter’s top focus will be this offseason as he tries to regain his rookie year form. Meanwhile, veteran cornerback Darius Slay has vowed to help him cure his ills. Porter has watched Slay his entire life and is ready to take on his mentorship.
“I told him I used to watch his tape growing up,” Porter said. “I know a lot of guys don’t like when I say that because it makes them feel old. He’s been in the league a long time. He’s a great vet. I’m glad to keep learning from him.”
The Steelers need Porter in his top form every week, but he was inconsistent last year, largely due to the penalties. If he can clean that up, Porter will be in a position to land a huge contract the year after and become a foundational part of the Steelers defense.