Joey Porter Jr. Ruled Out Again as Steelers Cornerback Misses Fourth Straight Game

Joey Porter Jr. looked close to making his long-awaited season debut, but the Pittsburgh Steelers took him off the board again. The cornerback was ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Cleveland Browns after spending the first three weeks on the sideline. Porter had fully participated in Monday and Tuesday's walk-through sessions, which raised hopes that he would finally play. Instead, a back issue returned to his injury report, pushing his debut back for at least another week.

Why is Joey Porter Jr. missing another game?

Porter entered Week 4 with a complicated situation. He had missed the first three games because of conditioning concerns and a lingering back problem, but his progress earlier in the week suggested that he might be ready.

The Steelers listed him as a full participant on Monday and Tuesday before limiting him Wednesday. According to ESPN, Porter appeared to report another back issue, and the team added “back” to his previous “not injury related/conditioning” designation. The timing stood out because coach Mike McCarthy had expressed hope that Porter would play. Porter had not taken part in a full practice since coming off the physically unable to perform list in late August, although this week's full participation came during estimated walkthrough reports.

The back problem had followed Porter since the opening day of training camp. He had missed camp and the preseason before returning to the roster on cutdown day. He later told reporters that both his back and conditioning had kept him from playing.

Joey Porter Jr.'s contract situation adds another layer

Porter's injury issue came while he was dealing with an unresolved contract situation with Pittsburgh. The Steelers did not reach an extension with the cornerback before the regular season, and the team has a policy of not negotiating contracts once the season begins.

Porter was entering the final year of his rookie deal and was set to make $3.9 million in salary. He was also mentioned as a possible trade target after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Pittsburgh was willing to listen to offers and had received inquiries from the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.

That made his continued absence more notable. Pittsburgh had won two of its first three games without him, while Porter had said on Sept. 24 that he would “definitely” play this season. For Thursday's game, the Steelers faced another concern in the secondary. Jalen Ramsey was listed as questionable with a broken wrist, while Brandin Echols remained questionable after clearing concussion protocol. Rookie Daylen Everette had taken on a larger role while Porter remained unavailable.