Porter Jr. inactive for Steelers opener with back injury — SkimNews
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- Joey Porter Jr. is officially inactive for the Steelers' Week 1 game against Atlanta with a back injury, after spending the summer on the physically unable to perform list and not practicing all offseason.
- The Steelers and Porter remain far apart on a contract extension; Pittsburgh does not negotiate during the season, and Porter had previously requested a trade and remains open to playing elsewhere.
- Pittsburgh is listening to trade offers for Porter but is asking for a premium draft pick, possibly a first-rounder, and has yet to see notable interest at that price.
- Four top cornerbacks — Trent McDuffie, Denzel Ward, Devon Witherspoon, and Christian Gonzalez — signed deals north of $30 million per year this offseason, a market the Steelers have not come close to matching for Porter.
- Pittsburgh extended Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton, and Darnell Washington this offseason but did not begin talks with Porter until recently.
- Asante Samuel Jr. is expected to take on an elevated role against the Falcons after joining the Steelers midway through last season following clearance from spinal fusion surgery.
Why it matters: Porter is one of the NFL's top young cornerbacks watching the position's market reset at $30 million-plus per year while the Steelers hold firm far below that, and with the franchise refusing to negotiate during the season and no teams stepping up at a first-round asking price, both sides enter Week 1 stuck at an impasse.
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