While Pittsburgh Steelers fans and media are busy criticizing Joey Porter Jr., one of his direct coaches wanted to set the record straight.
Steelers assistant head coach/secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. even took time after practice to speak with some reporters, including Brendan Howe of Steelers Now. He wanted to make sure the public knows how the coaching staff feels about how Porter has conducted himself.
Joey Porter Jr.’s Coach Has No Issue With How He’s Acted
“The guy [Porter] has been really good in the meeting room all the time. They have a great rapport, the whole group. And he’s just part of the group, so it hasn’t been a problem,” said Whitt.
He then even went a step further and said Porter has done everything the coaches have asked him to do in addition to be “great” in the meeting room. “Everything from a ball standpoint, he’s done it.”
Whitt’s comments also connect with what Porter’s teammate Patrick Queen said earlier in the week. Queen professed his unwavering support for Porter no matter what’s the real reason for his absence.
“Joey, whether he’s going through, whether it’s injury or it’s contract stuff, I respect it. I’m behind him 100%,” said Queen bluntly to reporters, including Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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 Polarizing for Steelers Fans
With the Steelers unwilling to budge on their stance, and Porter seemingly unwilling to meet in the middle, the most likely scenario is the two sides are unable to ever come to terms. And an eventual breakup between Pittsburgh and Porter would create a disappointing end to a franchise’s relationship with a legacy player.
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.
Steelers Coach Sets Record Straight on Joey Porter Jr.’s Behavior