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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy offered an update on Joey Porter Jr. and his status moving forward.
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McCarthy noted that Porter Jr., who was inactive for the Steelers’ Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, is, “finishing the ramp-up period” and, “definitely ready to do more,” in practice this upcoming week.
On the topic of Porter Jr.’s contract stalemate, with the two sides having halted talks now that the regular season has begun, McCarthy didn’t provide much insight and simply stated that, “the business part of it, that’s not for me to speak on.”
How Steelers’ Secondary Held Up Against Falcons Without Porter Jr.
Against third-string Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush, Pittsburgh’s secondary was essentially lights-out.
Atlanta’s offense as a whole couldn’t get much going, with Bijan Robinson shouldering a vast majority of the load as he went for 173 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown.
The Steelers gave up just 143 passing yards to Rush on the day while also logging two interceptions, with Jaquan Brisker doing so in the second quarter before T.J. Watt recorded a pick-six in the fourth quarter.
All of that is to say that Pittsburgh’s defensive backs were incredibly impactful and productive, but much tougher tests are ahead, particularly in Week 2 against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots.
The Steelers may have been able to make up for Porter Jr.’s absence in the season opener, though that isn’t sure to be the case long-term.
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Could Porter Jr. Play in Near Future Despite Contract Situation?
McCarthy’s comments certainly suggest that Porter Jr. could be on schedule to play soon, perhaps even against the Patriots, solely based on where he is physically with his back injury as well as how up to speed he is in Pittsburgh’s defense after missing all of training camp on the PUP list.
It’s unknown if Porter Jr. would actually consider holding out from any additional games, and doing so would be a risky decision given the potential ramifications.
That’s the exact reason why such an outcome feels unlikely from the outside looking in, but maybe his camp feels that’s the best leverage play.
Regardless, it’s pretty clear the Steelers expect Porter Jr. to be out there, and very soon. As the team nears the end of their plan when it comes to ramping him back up, all eyes are on his status heading into Week 2.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as Steelers Nearing End of Joey Porter Jr. Plan.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM.