As the potential contract standoff between cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and the Pittsburgh Steelers continues, the media is trying to find answers in the situation anyway possible. That includes asking the team’s defensive leaders what they might know about the cornerback.
On Wednesday, it was All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward who received a Porter question from the media. Heyward deflected and kept his answer as brief as possible.
“You have more sense than me. I don’t know anything,” Heyward told reporters. “You could ask [Steelers director of communications] Burt [Lauten] right here. We could put him up to it.
“Whoever is out there, we’ve just got to be ready to play.”
The Steelers are preparing to face AFC North rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, in Week 3 on Sunday. The Bengals, of course, feature a two-headed monster at wide receiver with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins lethal targets for 3-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow.
Joey Porter Jr. Limited in Practice “Not Injury-Related”
Confusion around the Porter situation reached an all-time high in the middle of last week. Porter practiced in limited fashion last Wednesday. The team labeled the cornerback limited because of “NIR/conditioning,” with NIR standing for “not-injury related.”
But Thursday, Porter left practice after his back flared up. Officially, the Steelers listed Porter on the injury report as limited all week and added “back” to his status while continuing to have the “NIR” designation as well.
Clearly, that was an oxymoron. Pundits criticized the Steelers and Porter for making a mockery of the NFL injury report.
While Heyward didn’t provide anything new, the Steelers injury report dropped the “back” part of Porter’s injury status for Week 3. Officially, the cornerback was again limited Wednesday because of “NIR/conditioning.”
Ultimately, that’s good news. NFL insiders, such as CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson, reported Sunday that Porter could return in Week 3. Based on Wednesday’s injury report, that’s a distinct possibility.
Steelers Nation, though, will hold their breath through Thursday. That was the day last week that things began to go haywire with Porter.
Steelers Defense vs. Joe Burrow’s Bengals
It should be all-hands on deck for the Steelers in Week 3 versus the Bengals. The team is coming off an embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots and would drop to 1-2 if they fall to Cincinnati.
The Steelers haven’t been 1-2 to begin a season since 2022.
Pittsburgh’s defense played well in the first two weeks. That should give the unit confidence entering a tough matchup versus Burrow and the Bengals. But the Steelers faced a severely struggling Atlanta Falcons offense and a Patriots unit without WR1 A.J. Brown.
Heyward and company gave up 13 points in each contest (the Patriots returned a fumble for a touchdown in Week 2). The Steelers defense will face their first real test of the season, though, against the Bengals.
Despite the passing firepower, Heyward pointed to stopping the run as the biggest key for Pittsburgh’s defense. Burrow didn’t play, but when the Steelers lost to the Bengals last season, Cincinnati ran for 142 rushing yards.
Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Addresses on Joey Porter Jr.’s Playing Status