Steelers' latest move could be bad news for Joey Porter Jr.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Steelers' latest move could be bad news for Joey Porter Jr.

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Sep 12, 2026 7:56 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers and young star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. still don't see eye to eye.

With just hours before kickoff, the Steelers and Porter Jr. haven't reached an agreement on a new deal.

His status for the season opener vs. the Atlanta Falcons remains unclear, as he's reportedly frustrated with his situation.

ESPN insider Brooke Pryor reported that the Steelers just activated another cornerback ahead of the game, and that might say everything there is to know about Porter's status.

Joey Porter Jr. might not play in Week 1

“Steelers have elevated DB Doneiko Slaughter to the game-day Active/Inactive Roster from the Practice Squad, team announces,” Pryor shared on X. “Potential depth as Joey Porter Jr.'s status remains up in the air.”

Steelers have elevated DB Doneiko Slaughter to the game day Active/Inactive Roster from the Practice Squad, team announces.

Potential depth as Joey Porter Jr.'s status remains up in the air.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 12, 2026

Porter is about to enter the final year of his rookie deal, and he might be trying to force the Steelers to either trade him or pay him.

Perhaps not even head coach Mike McCarthy knows whether he'll show up, and while this could all be circumstantial and a big coincidence, it might also be the team trying to add some insurance in case their former second-round pick doesn't show up.

Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez just reset the cornerback market, and while Porter isn't on that same tier, he might still be pushing for a bigger deal than the Steelers are willing to give him.

He's coming off a strong campaign, logging 52 total tackles, 14 passes defensed, one sack and one pick in 14 appearances, according to Football Reference.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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