Is this the week Joey Porter Jr.’s playing time takes a leap for Steelers?

For what it’s worth, the messaging has changed regarding the prospects for one of the greatest sources of angst among Pittsburgh Steelers fans: extra playing time for rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

It’s been a weekly question for defensive coordinator Teryl Austin — will Porter get deployed more often and in more packages?

Thursday might have been the first time Austin verbally acknowledged that Porter’s usage could be more than in the dime subpackage for an upcoming game.

“There’s an opportunity for him to get more work on the field,” Austin said before Thursday’s practice at UPMC Sports Complex. “He’s been steadily progressing each week. He’s gotten a little bit more and has done a good job with it, so we’ll see how it goes this week. But probably can anticipate it because (the Los Angeles Rams) do throw the ball quite a bit.”

Austin got to the point in recent weeks that he chuckled at the Porter questions and would openly anticipate them.

In Weeks 2 and 3 when asked why Porter was buried down the depth chart, Austin each time gave a variation of: “That’s kind of where he is right now.”

In Week 5, Austin said, “Not yet.”

Last week before the bye, Austin’s reply was, “When the time comes (for Porter), it’ll come.”

Porter played a career-high 28 defensive snaps in the Steelers’ most recent game, including coming up with a crucial interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter of a 17-10 win against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 19. Perhaps even more germane was Porter rotated into the Steelers’ base or nickel packages during the second half, playing ahead of veterans Levi Wallace or Patrick Peterson.

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Porter was asked Thursday if the three-man rotation would continue Sunday against the Rams.

“I really don’t know,” he said, “but like I always do, I just always try to come to work and prepare like a starter and let the chips unfold.”

Porter, the No. 32 overall pick in April’s draft, said he was not told of the plan to use him more extensively against Baltimore until halftime of that game. Austin said that decision was made more as a reward for Porter than a condemnation of the play of Wallace and/or Peterson.

“He’s making strides,” Austin said of Porter, “and we feel comfortable enough to put him in the game in other than third-down situations.”

Austin said the Steelers are keeping Porter on the left side of the defense in an effort to keep his initial play as simple as possible. According to Pro Football Focus, Porter has played 75 snaps as a left outside cornerback, nine on the right outside, one in the slot and one as a hybrid linebacker.

With a wide receivers corps that includes a recent NFL Offensive Player of the Year (Cooper Kupp) and a candidate for this season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award (Puka Nacua), the Rams present a challenge for the Steelers defensive backs.

“I always welcome it,” Porter said. “I hide from no (receiver). I duck no smoke. We’re football players. That’s what we like to do. I’m definitely excited for it.”

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