Unable or unwilling to provide the true answers Steelers fans are looking for, Mike McCarthy only offered a short response when asked about Joey Porter Jr. on Monday.
Questions about Porter’s status were expected following not playing in Pittsburgh’s Week 1 20-13 win over the Atalanta Falcons. Porter was said to be out due to his linger back injury, but his absence is also believed to be connected to his ongoing contract dispute with the team.
Mike McCarthy Declined to Offer Too Much When it Comes to Joey Porter Jr.
“We’ll have a good plan for him on Wednesday. Hopefully he’ll do more. That’s my expectation,” said McCarthy when asked if Porter will suit up when the Steelers travel to New England to face the Patriots this week.
Sticking to the injury as being more of the determining factor about his status, McCarthy also added that he was “impressed” when he saw Porter do some one-on-one drills during practice late last week. However, Porter’s progress didn’t lead to him being active on game day.
McCarthy’s shorter recent statements about Porter come after he admitted the franchise is at an “impasse” with the legacy cornerback in terms of agreeing on a new long term deal. And Porter missing a game led to reporters suggesting the Steelers are now willing to hear trade offers.
Why the Steelers Are an ‘Impasse’ With Porter
Part of the impasse stems from the Steelers viewing Porter, a productive player who has yet to be named a Pro Bowler through three seasons, as shy of warranting a contact that would reset the market again. Porter, on the other hand, has watched similar players spike the market with big contracts throughout the offseason.
Porter, 26, is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded 52 total tackles in 14 games. He also deflected 14 passes and picked off one. But Porter is two years removed from his best season of his young career yet. In 2024, Porter put up a career-high 70 combined tackles, 53 credited as solo, a couple tackles for a loss, seven pass deflections and an interception. He registered 43 tackles as a rookie.
A Porter Trade Would Be Emotional for Steelers Fans
If the Steelers are unwilling to budge, it will then be up to Porter himself to meet them in the middle. And if he’s unwilling to do that, all signs point to an eventual breakup between Pittsburgh and a player that comes with an additional factor unique to this situation, even if that divorce occurs after the conclusion of the 2026 season.
A possible trade of Porter, 26, the son of the former popular Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr., comes with extra emotions for fans. Porter Sr. made four Pro Bowls and was part of a Super Bowl winning team in Pittsburgh. Fans figured his son would enjoy similar, if not greater, success when the Steelers brought him home by selecting him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State.
With or without Porter, the Steelers will kickoff their Week 2 contest against the 0-1 Patriots at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Mike McCarthy Provides Brief Update on Joey Porter Jr.’s Status