Pittsburgh Steelers rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. was held out of the team’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday due to a minor injury he had been dealing with in training camp. Porter has been champing at the bit to get back and be ready to play, saying that getting exposure to live NFL snaps is important to him prior to taking the field for regular-season action.
On the latest edition of the All Things Covered podcast, show hosts Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson previewed the upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. McFadden asked Peterson about what he’s looking for in Porter’s hopeful first NFL action, Peterson answered that he wants to see Porter showcase the skill set of a professional when the game is real.
“I’m just looking for him to take those necessary steps to be ready, you know, for Week One, whenever his number is called,” Peterson said on All Things Covered, which aired on the show’s YouTube channel. “So, I’m just interested to see how he handles the situation and how he goes out there and ball. I’m not questioning that he’s gonna go out there and make plays. It’s just all about if he can sustain the consistency as far as containing his leverage being where he’s supposed to be, having clean eyes. When you’re in press, having good footwork, you know? Those type of things that I’m looking forward to because those are things that help you last in this league.”
Peterson has been Porter’s mentor since the latter was drafted by the Steelers, Porter asking him plenty of questions on a daily basis to better understand the technicalities that come with playing cornerback at the NFL level. He and Peterson have gone through plenty of on-field work together, with Peterson testing Porter on the lessons learned to see if the information he shared has stuck.
The cornerback position is possibly the hardest position in which to transition from the college game to the professional game outside of quarterback. There are so many technical skills that need to be honed to execute at a high level against some of the best wide receivers in the game. Porter will have that opportunity to face another team here on Saturday night, having gone against the likes of WR George Pickens in practice for the last month. Hopefully, Peterson’s teachings and Porter’s battles with Pickens pay off with a strong NFL preseason debut for the rookie corner.
