Mike McCarthy tries to downplay Joey Porter Jr.-Steelers saga

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mike McCarthy tries to downplay Joey Porter Jr.-Steelers saga

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Sep 13, 2026 7:18 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers survived an ugly game vs. the undermanned Atlanta Falcons to secure a 20-13 Week 1 win.

Notably, they didn't have their star cornerback on the field, as Joey Porter Jr. continues to deal with an injured back.

That said, the timing of the injury has raised some suspicions, given that Porter is openly angry with his contract situation and a lack of a lucrative extension.

Considering that, and knowing that his absence would be one of the biggest storylines of the week, head coach Mike McCarthy insisted that this isn't related to his contract, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic.

Mike McCarthy insists Joey Porter Jr. is hurt

"FWIW, Mike McCarthy said that Joey Porter Jr. is still in the 'ramp-up' stage from a reported back injury," DeFabo shared on X. "We sat down and talked about it, talked about the plan for next week. He's definitely ready to do more, so we'll see how that goes."

FWIW, Mike McCarthy said that Joey Porter Jr. is still in the "ramp up" stage from a reported back injury.

"We sat down and talked about it, talked about the plan for next week. He's definitely ready to do more, so we'll see how that goes."
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) September 13, 2026

While that might be the case, fans have every reason to have doubts.

According to ESPN insider Brooke Pryor, Porter Jr. was the first guy out of the locker room after the win, and while, again, this might not mean anything, it's hard not to think there could be much more to the story.

Joey Porter Jr. (gray hoodie) first player out of the locker room after the win pic.twitter.com/bUc6p7QoID
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 13, 2026

Multiple teams could use the second-round pick out of Penn State, even if they're uninterested in giving him the type of market-setting deal guys like Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez got.

And while the Steelers have said all the right things about wanting to keep him, Week 1 is already in the books, and he didn't suit up.

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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