The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t sign Patrick Peterson this offseason so that he could be a babysitter. He’s here to play football. Though he’ll be playing at 33 years old this season, he can still get the job done. But where Peterson goes, so do his leadership instincts, and he is instilling that in the Steelers’ youngest cornerbacks, including 32nd-overall pick Joey Porter Jr.
While it was always the expectation since the Steelers signed Peterson that they would draft a young cornerback early and that the veteran would be able to play a sort of mentor role, it’s good to hear that relationship already building during OTAs and bearing fruit.
Porter, for example, had high praise for his accomplished teammate “He has been great. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes”, he said via the team’s website, crediting Peterson with helping him progress further along faster than he would have otherwise. “I am glad to have him on my squad, because without him, I wouldn’t be able to learn so much about the game so fast like I am right now”.
Going into his 13th season, there isn’t much Peterson hasn’t seen, though his preparing to work more in the slot this year is a bit new for him. His doing so, assuming that is what transpires, will open the door for Porter to get on the field and play outside.
The rookie admitted that it was a bit of tough going right out of the gate, but has picked things up as the practices move along. “The first two days were kind of tough, just getting the hang of it”, he said, “the speed, the pace. But now it’s my fifth or sixth day out here, it’s been really good. I’m kind of knowing what I’m doing a little more, communicating more, so it’s been great”.
Peterson has also talked up his young protégé recently. “He’s working with the ones, twos, and threes, so he’s getting all the looks that he needs to make sure that he’s more than prepared when his number calls”, he said. “You can expect to see him on the field early and quite often”.
Right now, Peterson projects to start alongside Levi Wallace, who returns from a career year in 2022, his first in Pittsburgh. It may stay that way to start the season, but it could be that Porter functions as the nickel back, coming in during sub-packages and playing outside, with Peterson kicking into the slot.
At the moment, that seems the more enticing nickel option in comparison to the likes of Chandon Sullivan and Duke Dawson and Tre Norwood. It would better reflect the notion of getting your best players on the field, but it really hinges on Porter’s readiness and Peterson’s ability to adjust to the slot.
