Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. carries a lot of weight on his shoulders every time he steps onto the football field. There’s the weight of his family name in a Pittsburgh jersey. And then there are the expectations that come from being the top corner on the Steelers after one year with the team.
But Porter hasn’t shown any signs of backing down from either of those things. In fact, his father, Joey Porter Sr., got to see him snag his first interception of the 2024 season against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6.
The bigger question is how do Porter’s coaches see how he’s performing this season?
“It’s been pretty good,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Thursday per a transcript provided by the team. “I thought there might be one game I was probably upset with him because he didn’t play it to the way he is capable, but Joey is really competing. We put a lot on Joey in terms of guarding and moving around and getting him in probably some strenuous positions. But he has held up well, and he likes those challenges. So I’m really pleased with him. If you are a corner in this league, you’re not going to go a whole season and not have a game or two where things don’t go your way. He bounces back any time he has a stretch of play that he doesn’t like because he is really competitive, and he wants to be really good.”
The Steelers have faced some quite talented wide receivers through six weeks, including the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb. Porter is a big part of handling all those top wide receivers, which is a big part of those challenges Austin spoke about. And through six games, Porter has three pass breakups on top of that aforementioned interception.
But it’s not just about how Porter does in coverage that’s caught Austin’s eye. Through six games, Porter has 21 total tackles and one tackle for a loss. Austin noted that Porter’s willingness and desire to tackle has improved since his rookie year, and it’s showing up on the field.
He does need to continue to clean up his technique as Steeler Depot’s Josh Carney has him with missed four tackles through the end of the Cowboys’ game. And Austin admits that he hasn’t always been happy with Porter’s performance.
But Porter has shown a willingness to get in and mix it up with ball carriers. That’s always a good sign from your corner. And Austin also highlighted that Porter always bounces back from bad play. That’s one of the biggest mental abilities a cornerback can have.
If Joey Porter keeps pushing to improve and hones that competitive spirit, he will continue to be a big force in the Steelers’ secondary for a long time.
