The Pittsburgh Steelers hold a record of 1-1 as the team begins to prepare to host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. This is going to be a big game within the AFC North as the Bengals come into the contest with a record of 2-2, and they sit atop the division alone through two weeks of the regular season. The Bengals offense has been potent as always, but the defense has also taken a significant step forward as the team looks like the group that went to the Super Bowl back in 2021. It will be a tough game to win for Pittsburgh, especially without some key players.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Keeanu Benton and TJ Watt come together to sack Joe Flacco during the 2025 season.
The status of wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is up in the air moving forward as he is dealing with a foot injury, and on the other side of the ball the Steelers are still without star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. The cornerback is coming back from a back injury, and there is also some tension between him and the organization as he was not given a contract extension before the start of the regular season, which was the deadline to get something done. The Steelers do not conduct contractual business in season, so the two sides are at a crossroads.
Porter was practicing ahead of the Week 2 contest against the New England Patriots when he claimed that he reaggravated his back injury and left practice with trainers. He was ruled out for the game, but it is unclear what he will do for Week 3 against the Bengals. Insider Gerry Dulac doesn't understand why he would play, which he shared during an appearance on Monday's episode of The DVE Morning Show.
"They would like to have Joey Porter Jr., just because it enhances their depth," Dulac said. "He's just another solid player on their defense. We'll see what happens this week, as we say every week. I'm a little skeptical about everything because I don't understand, after everything Joey Porter Jr. has done, if he would then go out on the field and play, everything he did in OTAs, minicamp, and now in training camp, was for naught. He would go out and play for nearly $4 million when he turned his back on just north of $27 million. It doesn't make sense to me."
Dulac insinuates that the average annual value of the extension that the Steelers offered to Porter was just north of $27 million, and it has been hypothesized that the cornerback and his team wanted $30 million. There are other factors that could have played a role in Porter denying the contract, including the length and potential guarantees.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
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.
The two sides are at an impasse, and it wouldn't really make sense for Porter to play. He sat out so far for a reason, and things have not worked out for him so it would make sense if he continued to sit out of games. Eventually the two sides are going to have to come to some sort of solution. That could be Porter getting traded elsewhere, or it could mean the Steelers breaking their rule of not doing business in-season.
Steelers Would Be Bold Putting Joey Porter Jr. Back In The Lineup For Week 3
Porter did not practice throughout the entirety of training camp, and he has only practiced in a limited capacity since then. That isn't ideal for a cornerback, and it would be a bit of a risk to have him return to the field against the Bengals. Joe Burrow is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, and Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are arguably the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. It would probably be a long day for Porter if he returned for that game.
What do you think about Dulac's comments on Porter's situation? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
#SteelerNation