Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Replacement is Ready

The Pittsburgh Steelers still do not know if they will have star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on the field when the regular season begins.

He and the Steelers are still trying to figure out how to make this contract extension work, and Porter Jr. hasn't committed one way or the other when it comes to playing on the final year of his rookie deal.

If he does miss time, it would push everyone up the lineup and depth chart. The first person impacted would be Asante Samuel Jr. He's been playing as a starting cornerback all preseason long with Joey on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List, and he's impressed along the way. As Week 1 rapidly nears, Samuel Jr. is prepared to take on whatever role the Steelers need him to, whether that's starting or backing up JPJ.

"I just prepare like I always been preparing," he said. "Even if Joey was here or he wasn't here, it doesn't change anything for me."

Samuel Jr. Reminding Steelers and NFL Who He Is

For Samuel Jr., he's maintained the same mindset in his second season with the organization. Coming off of a neck injury that robbed him of over a year of his career, he's shown that he is fully back. As a backup rotational player in the secondary last season, he displayed a high level of pass coverage skill and made some nice open field tackles.

He made the most of his opportunities in 2025, and it's paving the way for even more in 2026. With Porter Jr. out for the preseason, Samuel Jr. starred. He went up against wide receivers DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson frequently. Both receivers had standout training camps, but looked average against ASJ.

Heading into Week 1, Samuel Jr. continues to play at a starting level. He's giving the organization the needed depth at cornerback this secondary required, and he gives the team a third starting cornerback on the roster.

"It's definitely good to show this team that I'm still who I am," he told Noah Strackbein of Steelers On SI.