Adam Schefter's New Joey Porter Jr Update Makes Things Even Worse For The Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers will not have cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on Sunday when competing against the New England Patriots. The defender wanted a lucrative new contract, and did not get that before the 2026 campaign began. Due to a franchise rule, the front office won't continue negotiations until the offseason. That is, unless something unforeseen occurs. A trade is on the table; however, as of now, the former second-round selection remains on the roster. All things point to this ending in an ugly manner.

When the players reported to Latrobe for training camp, Porter suffered a back injury on the first day. He hasn't practiced in a full capacity since, and it's not far-fetched to believe that it is due to his contract. Regardless, it would be ideal for him to suit up for the Steelers' Week 3 divisional showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are no easy matchup for any secondary.

On Sunday morning, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported some significant news regarding Porter. At the surface, it seems like sources inside Pittsburgh's building and then those representing the cornerback are going back and forth. The organization is expecting the defender to play in Week 3; however, he made have different plans overall.

"The Pittsburgh Steelers are planning for Joey Porter Jr., who has missed the first two games of the season, to potentially return for their Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, sources told ESPN," Schefter wrote.

The Steelers might be anticipating having their top pass defender on the field when the Bengals show up to Acrisure Stadium. That doesn't mean, though, that the Penn State product is going to follow through and work to get healthy prior to that.

"Whether or not Porter actually does return is a bit more ambiguous and is connected to the star cornerback's back injury and conditioning level," Schefter wrote. "Porter's back, according to a source, has "flared up when he's tried to go full speed, and they haven't been able to get it where it needs to be." Porter has been considering getting a second opinion on his back."

Now, the situation seems to be getting even uglier. The two sides are on opposite ends of this mess. The Steelers have the leverage, but Porter is still making this entire thing difficult. There is no way for Pittsburgh to evaluate just how much back pain the defender has, or doesn't have. With that, a standoff is set to continue for who knows how long.

Pittsburgh may have leaked a little extra information to Schefter with the sole hope of painting Porter as the bad person. Could the Steelers be attempting to turn the fan base against him?

"The Steelers might think, as one source described this week, that Porter is "fired up about playing against Cincinnati," but there is a business side to this situation that cannot be ignored as the sides remain at an impasse in contract discussions," Schefter reported.

This continues to get more fascinating by the day. The Steelers are unlikely to give Porter a new deal at this point. He might be trying to force his way out via a trade, but would have to admit that he is healthy for that to commence. Then, he would be contractually obligated to play. There is no way to predict how this might end, but it appears that there may not be any winners. Everyone involved is contributing in a negative way it seems.

Steelers May Have Made A Huge Mistake With Porter

The salary cap increases every year. Pittsburgh has not had success drafting cornerbacks of late. Porter proved in 2025 that he has what it takes to be a lockdown guy on the outside. Despite this, Omar Khan has played hardball, which has led to a mess that seems impossible to come back from. Week-in and week-out, fans could get reports like these from Schefter. Both sides are trying to save face, and it is an unfortunate look for the Steelers and Porter altogether.

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