Pittsburgh Steelers rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. made his NFL debut tonight after being held out of the team’s first preseason game due to a minor injury. He played a solid chunk of snaps in the middle of the contest, which included recording an interception. But with what is expected of him early this year, there’s still much work to be done, head coach Mike Tomlin said afterwards.
“We can’t get him enough snaps”, he told reporters a short time ago, via the team’s website. “We’ll be working our tails off to make up for last week’s missed opportunity. I like some of the things that he did, but, boy, we’ve got to see a lot more. He has to see a lot more. There’s no substitute for snap exposure”.
Porter finished the game as one of three defenders to come away with an interception, including DBs Elijah Riley and Chandon Sullivan. All three are vying for playing time as the fifth or sixth defensive back; of the trio, only Porter’s job security is clear.
The 32nd-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter had an auspicious debut in front of his home crowd, in the stadium he grew up watching his father play. Joey Porter Sr. was on hand for the game and received the ball from his son’s first career interception.
In addition to the takeaway, he was credited with one tackle on the first play he was in the game when the Buffalo Bills targeted him on a quick-hitting pass for a short completion to three-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. He played it well and tried to get his hands between the ball, but successfully tackled the catch.
The progression of the rookie has been one of the key storylines of training camp. Not only is he expected to be the future of the cornerback position, he is being looked at as an immediate contributor. Provided that veteran Patrick Peterson is able to work in the slot, Porter and Levi Wallace could play outside in the Steelers’ core nickel package. Otherwise, Sullivan and Riley are their top slot options.
As Tomlin alluded to, Porter suffered an ankle injury during the heart of training camp leading up to the first preseason game. The Steelers held him out of it as a precautionary measure, but the head coach indicated it has set back his readiness somewhat, at least in their eyes.
He also told reporters that they were a bit more cautious with his playing time exposure in tonight’s game in anticipation of a quick turnaround, as the Steelers play their final preseason game on Thursday at Atlanta.
He should see extensive action in that game, which will be the final tentpole in the offseason evaluation process and will go a long way toward determining his level of participation defensively at the start of the regular season. They can afford to hold him back, but why would they want to if they find that he’s ready?
