Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. left the media viewing portion of practice early on Thursday. Porter walked off the field with a Steelers trainer after only a few individual workouts. The reasoning for Porter Jr.’s absence is not yet known and head coach Mike McCarthy said before practice that Porter Jr. was scheduled to do more work today than in yesterday’s practice.
Porter Jr. was listed as a limited participant, but his designation was changed from a back injury to non-injury related/conditioning.
This stems from Porter Jr. being in the PUP list for all of training camp in Latrobe with a lingering back issue, but the cloud of a potential contract extension over his head. He did not play in the season opener against Atlanta and may not play in New England this Sunday.
Linebacker Patrick Queen backed Porter Jr., regardless of whether the contract or injury is the main reason why he hasn’t played or fully practiced.
“Joey, whatever he’s going through, whether it’s injury or contract, I respect it,” Queen said on Thursday, per Chris Adamski of The Trib.
The Steelers are the only team in the NFL that have a policy against negotiating during the season.
“I’m behind him 100%,” Queen said. “I tell him every single time, ‘I respect how you go about your business every single day. I know you all see the stuff he does out there. I definitely respect him.”
Asante Samuel Jr. and Jamel Dean limited the Falcons to 143 yards passing, albeit with backup Cooper Rush at quarterback. The defense did its job against Atlanta, but could soon significantly miss Porter Jr. if he isn’t back for the Bengals next Sunday.
Steelers players have publicly backed Porter Jr. during this saga, including Jalen Ramsey who emphatically told the media the Steelers should pay Porter Jr. before the season.
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