Three players from the Steelers’ 2023 draft class received big-money extensions from the team this offseason.
Not among that group was arguably the best player in that Pittsburgh draft class: cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who didn’t practice over the summer while on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a reported back injury — and while hoping for a new contract himself in a competitive cornerback market.
Speaking to the media after his first practice since being activated from the PUP list on
Sunday, Porter said he “didn’t know” when asked if he would play Week 1, when Pittsburgh will open the season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13.
“I have to talk to the guys upstairs, my agents about that one,” he said, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
At a different point, when asked if he would play if healthy, Porter responded, “Yeah, for sure… maybe,” according to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo.
“I really can’t speak much to the future, but today, I was out there today, running with the guys,” Porter said via Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders. “Still trying to get back fully.”
Before Tuesday’s practice, Steelers’ head coach Mike McCarthy noted the star corner was still “ramping up” after spending time on the PUP list.
Porter is entering the last season of his rookie deal. Earlier this offseason, the Seahawks’ Devon Witherspoon reset the cornerback market with a $33 million average-per-year extension.
