Everyone seems to have an opinion on how Joey Porter Jr. handled his contract situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which ultimately forced the team to trade him for pennies on the dollar. And it's safe to say NBA legend Charles Barkley isn't a fan of how Porter carried himself over the past several months.
Speaking on the BetMGM GameDay broadcast, Barkley shared his honest feelings about the Porter situation, calling out the former Steelers cornerback for quitting on his team.
"Well, you can't ever quit on your team," Barkley said about Porter. "I know we all want trades. We all have contract situations, but your obligation is to the players in that locker room. Listen, the fans are great. The owners, they are what they are, they're businessmen.
But you never quit on your teammates."
Barkley also blasted Porter's miraculous back injury recovery with the Dallas Cowboys, a "setback" that kept the young cornerback away from training camp, practices, and games for the Steelers.
"Obviously, something was going on," Barkley said. "Between Pittsburgh and Dallas, he got really dang healthy quickly, didn't he? They must've been serving some good stuff on that airline. I truly believe — I've been in really bad situations before, my last three or four years in Philly, to be honest with you, were brutal. You get dressed with those guys. You're on the plane with those guys. You're on the buses and things. I would've handled it differently."
Lucky to have @_CharlesBarkley on BetMGM GameDay this morning.
— Chris Mack (@THEChrisMack) October 4, 2026
Needless to say, he wouldn’t have handled things the way Joey Porter, Jr. did. #NFL #Steelers #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/9DLxGq6L4P
Porter, who all but refused to play for Pittsburgh on his rookie deal, had no problem doing so for the Cowboys, as Dallas is reportedly not looking to sign him to a long-term extension at this time. Barkley was right. Regardless of how Porter may have felt about the Steelers organization, he quit on the team and ultimately let fans down in the process.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: NBA legend Charles Barkley blasts Joey Porter Jr. for quitting on Steelers
