Steelers A to Z: Joey Porter Jr. looks to diminish penalties, increase number of splash plays in 3rd season

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

CB JOEY PORTER JR.

Experience/age: 3rd season, turns 25 later in July

Contract status: $2,623,185 cap hit, signed through 2026

The past: Porter’s play in his second NFL season and first as a full-time starter at outside cornerback was marked by the glaring number of penalties that the former Penn State and North Allegheny product incurred.

Porter was flagged 17 times (five were offsetting or declined), which was five more flags thrown against any other NFL cornerback. Porter was called for holding on seven occasions and he was hit for pass interference six times. On two other plays, he drew a flag for illegal use of hands.

Six of those penalties (four accepted) came in a 44-38 victory at Cincinnati.

That was an increase from the 12 penalty flags that Porter drew as a rookie (four were declined or offset). Not the kind of growth that coach Mike Tomlin likes to see in players in their second seasons, particularly a shutdown man coverage corner who was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

For the second year in a row, Porter had one interception, and his seven pass breakups were three fewer than he totaled in 2023. That could be an indication teams weren’t throwing in Porter’s direction, deciding instead of target opposing corner Donte Jackson, who departed in free agency. Porter did set a career high with 70 tackles, nearly doubling his output from his rookie year.

Porter started all but the Christmas game against Kansas City, which he missed because of a knee injury. Porter returned to start the season finale and the wild-card loss at Baltimore, during which he was flagged twice for defensive holding.

#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on CB Joey Porter Jr.’s penalty-filled game.

“Tee Higgins’ got a lot to do with that. Tee is a goon. He is. You can’t let him beat you up.” pic.twitter.com/H8AlSN4ihw

— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) December 1, 2024

2025 outlook: Porter doesn’t appear to be in any danger of losing his starting job, although the Steelers have added two former All-Pro cornerbacks in the offseason. Darius Slay signed a one-year, $10 million contract at the outset of free agency, and three-time All-Pro pick Jalen Ramsey was acquired in a June blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins.

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will have to figure out how to keep all of his outside cornerbacks happy. Ramsey has the versatility to play inside, and the Steelers haven’t ruled out using him at safety. Porter, meanwhile, will see whether he has corrected his penalty issues in training camp and the preseason.