The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to get a win on Sunday as the team took down the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener, but the defense had to play well without star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on the field. He did not play as he continues to try to come back from a back injury that kept him on the sideline throughout the entirety of training camp. Porter has been dealing with a back injury since the day before training camp began, and the news made fans a bit skeptical at the start due to the fact that he has been locked in a contract dispute with the franchise during that time as well.
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Pittsburgh Steelers star defenders Joey Porter Jr. (24) and Jalen Ramsey (5) stand on the field as they watch their team workout during a 2026 training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Porter is coming off of the best season of his career in 2025, and he was eligible for an extension throughout the entire 2026 offseason. The two sides failed to come to an agreement on a deal despite several of Porter's draft classmates getting new extensions. Porter values himself at the top of the cornerback position, which is a premium position to play in the NFL. The market is currently rising, and Porter believes he should be paid near the top of that market. That is where some of the hold-up on a new deal lies.
The cornerback did not play against the Falcons in Week 1 as he only returned to practice recently and that was in a limited capacity. There were questions about whether he would be ready to play by Week 1, and if he would play without a new deal. The reasoning for him not taking the field has been attributed to his injury. According to insider Gerry Dulac during an appearance on 102.5 WDVE, the coaching staff is not happy with Porter.
"At this point, if this kind of, I'm hesitant to call it a charade, but for lack of a better word, let's call it a charade, if this continues, then what's the point of even having him around?" Dulac asked. "If he doesn't want to play, and right now, you have to think, look, the coaches in the organization aren't exactly happy with him, they're not just going to let this thing fester and let him sit there and not play. It's a bad feel, it's a bad vibe. It's a bad look for the team, and even for the locker room."
Dulac calls it a charade based on how Porter is handling things, but it is important to note that this was in the hands of the organization. It's a charade on both sides. The franchise had all offseason to make headway on a potential deal, and nothing happened. Now the organization is paying the price for that. Porter is at fault, but so is the team for how it handled things.
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Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. looks to evade Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson after securing an interception during a regular-season matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Some reports have surfaced stating that the Steelers' offers to Porter have been quite disrespectful, and the issue has typically been the guaranteed money in these situations. That has been reported to be the area of disagreement on the negotiations between the two sides, and that ultimately led to no deal being agreed to. The Steelers do not conduct contractual business during the season, so if the organization is unwilling to break that trend, a trade might be the most likely outcome for Porter.
Steelers Coaches Upset With Joey Porter Jr. Amid Contract Dispute
Dulac believes the coaching staff is upset with Porter and how this whole thing has unfolded, and if that is the case, Head Coach Mike McCarthy has been able to hide it well. He has praised the cornerback over the last couple of weeks. It must suck to be missing one of your best defensive pieces, and that can be upsetting, but most coaches typically take the side of the player in situations like these.
What do you think about the coaches being upset with Porter? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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