Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will miss the team’s season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, with the club designating him inactive roughly 90 minutes before kickoff. The decision came as a deadline the Steelers had set for resolving Porter’s contract situation passed without agreement between the two parties.
Porter, 26, is in the final year of his rookie deal signed in 2023. The standoff centers on his request for compensation among the league’s highest-paid defensive backs. While the Steelers have extended other members of Porter’s draft class, including edge rusher Nick Herbig and tight end Darnell Washington, negotiations with the cornerback reached an impasse. A back injury sustained during a mobility test in July further complicated matters, keeping him sidelined through much of the preseason.
Though Porter returned to practice recently, coach Mike Tomlin indicated he remained in a gradual recovery phase. The team maintains a policy against negotiating during the regular season, meaning any resolution likely won’t occur until mid-January at the earliest. The Steelers retain the option of applying the franchise tag to Porter for 2027, a tool previously used on running back Le’Veon Bell in consecutive years.
The Falcons will start backup quarterback Cooper Rush after injuries sidelined both Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta also listed several defensive contributors as inactive for the matchup.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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