Steelers Made A Huge Mistake With Week 4 Preparation

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a heartbreaking 27-24 defeat to the rival Cleveland Browns in Week 4. One of Pittsburgh's weaknesses throughout the contest was the secondary. The unit suffered injuries and was also playing without star cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys just a day before the game. Porter Jr. had not played for the Steelers through the first three weeks of the 2026 regular season, but the team was confident that he was going to be on the field against the Browns before the trade.

The Porter Jr. trade did not come as much of a surprise to Steelers fans, as it seemed very unlikely that he would ever play another snap in the Black and Gold. The team did not feel this way, as it was reportedly preparing for Porter Jr. to finally make his return to the lineup in Week 4. Without him, the secondary struggled mightily. An injury to cornerback Jamel Dean also made the unit's job that much more difficult.

The Browns passed for 268 yards and quarterback Deshaun Watson had his way with the defense for much of the game, being able to find a man seemingly every time he dropped back. Pittsburgh's defense allowed five different Browns pass-catchers to record at least 27 receiving yards, with rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion leading the way with 89 and 64 receiving yards, respectively. This performance was a terrible look for the Steelers' defense, as many predicted the absence of Porter Jr. would be a big issue, which it turned out to be.

During a recent episode of The Pomp and Joe Show from 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo commented on how the secondary was affected by the departure of Porter Jr.

"The Steelers really did prepare all week like Joey Porter Jr. was going to play for them," Fittipaldo explained. "I do not want to make a huge deal out of it because two of the practices he took part in were walkthroughs, but they just looked like they were not prepared at all."

The Steelers' defense arguably had its worst performance of the season and it came at a terrible time. Without Porter Jr. and now the injury to Dean, the secondary is extremely thin. Pittsburgh's schedule only gets tougher from here and the defense will need to get back on track to give the team any chance of surviving the gauntlet that lies ahead of them. 

The Steelers' active cornerback room now consists of Daylen Everette, Doneiko Slaughter, Asante Samuel Jr. and Brandin Echols. They will all need to step up in a big way to hold down the back end of the defense until Dean can return, or until the organization makes a potential move for help in the secondary.

Steelers Are In Desperate Need Of Another Solid Cornerback

It would be very beneficial for Pittsburgh to trade for or sign another defensive back to the roster in the near future. While the current cornerback group has shown some flashes, it arguably does not have the talent or experience to hold up all season long. The Steelers could sign an aging free agent cornerback, with names such as Marshon Lattimore, Trevon Diggs, and Kenny Moore all being without a current team. The Steelers have also been involved in trade rumors surrounding secondary players, even before the Porter Jr. trade was announced. Whatever direction the organization chooses to go in, it needs to find help, and it needs it now. 

After the performance against the Browns, the team cannot feel confident rolling out this secondary for the rest of the 2026 season. Pittsburgh seems to be on the last gasp of its "win-now" mentality, with many of the team's star players in the latter half of their careers. The Steelers will need to make one last push to truly compete in 2026. 

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