He played against him in a 2023 game, but matching up against him daily in practice, honing his craft rep after rep in Latrobe against a key piece of the defense is something Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver DK Metcalf is really enjoying.
That matchup? Against third-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr., of course.
So far in training camp the two have had some good battles. They’ve mixed it up physically. Porter has won some reps; Metcalf has won others. Iron sharpens iron, and Metcalf is embracing it.
“He’s a good competitor, man. He is a tough DB to go against,” Metcalf said of Porter, according to video via the Post-Gazette on YouTube. “Long, lanky, and he has speed and he’s young. So yeah, he can definitely keep up with me and I think it’s gonna be good to continue to go against him throughout the coming weeks leading up to the season.
“Think we’re gonna make each other better.”
The last time the two matched up was in Week 16 of the 2023 season, a 30-23 Steelers win on New Year’s Eve in Seattle. That day, Metcalf hauled in five receptions for 106 yards for the Seahawks, while Porter had one tackle and one pass breakup. According to Pro Football Focus, Porter allowed three receptions on five targets to Metcalf for 86 yards, yielding 42 yards after the catch, too.
It was a good test for the rookie cornerback, one that he struggled with initially before bouncing back.
Now, entering Year 3, he gets the chance to go against Metcalf daily in practice. That’s only going to help him get better with his hand usage against a physical specimen like Metcalf.
The star receiver has had to deal with some great cornerbacks in his time, and he gets no break away from Porter, either, with Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey waiting in the wings.
Along with difficult challenges at cornerback, Metcalf is relishing the opportunity to go against a great defense daily, adding that it will make things easier on Sundays for him and the rest of the offense.
“I like going against competitive people and they are a group of competitive people from the d-line to the linebackers to the DBs, from the safeties to the corners. Everybody’s talking,” Metcalf said of the Steelers’ defense. “Everybody’s being physical at the point of attack. And that’s what I can appreciate going against these guys, ’cause I know I can’t let them down on Sunday and I know it’s gonna be vice versa.”
It was a chippy practice Thursday in Latrobe, but it was also a day in which the offense started to come together and have some success against the defense. That’s a positive development, especially with some key new players like Aaron Rodgers and Metcalf starting to get on the same page.
Working against the type of talent on the defensive side of the football will only make them better. Metcalf understands that and is embracing it.
