Steelers rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. may have to wait a bit longer before making 1st NFL start

Fans clamoring for Joey Porter Jr. to start at cornerback in the wake of his second-half showing against the Baltimore Ravens might be in for a letdown when the Pittsburgh Steelers return from their bye.

Despite Porter’s interception in the end zone that changed momentum and set up the winning touchdown drive in the Steelers’ 17-10 victory Sunday, he apparently will have to wait a little longer before making his first NFL start.

“Not right now,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Tuesday. “When the time comes, it will come.”

If Austin’s proclamation is correct, Porter again will be used off the bench when the Steelers face the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 22 at SoFi Stadium.

Secondary coach Grady Brown echoed the sentiments that although the Steelers coaching staff is happy with the progress that Porter, the No. 32 overall pick in the draft, has made through five weeks, he isn’t ready to replace either Patrick Peterson or Levi Wallace on a full-time basis.

“Whoever is playing well will start,” Brown said. “That’s the goal. Joey finished the game in a good spot. We’ll see if he starts. It’s about, are you making the plays that need to be made? I’m not sure it matters who starts. It matters that when they are throwing the ball, who is out there and who is playing well.”

Limited primarily to the dime package when six defensive backs are on the field for the first month of the season, Porter saw his role increase in the second half against the Ravens, who put up 244 yards against the Steelers before halftime.

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Porter replaced Wallace for one series, then began to spell Peterson on subsequent drives with the 13-year veteran playing the slot on passing downs. The most important of his career-high 28 snaps came when Porter was matched up on decorated wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on third-and-goal from the 5.

Looking to build on a 10-8 lead with 4 minutes, 10 seconds remaining, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw a fade to the right corner. Porter, perfectly positioned against Beckham, got to the ball first and pulled down his first career interception.

“This may be my first time saying this, but he really did everything well on that play,” Brown said. “You go back and look at his footwork. Really, go back and look at him pre-snap. He showed a lot of confidence. That was a very weighty moment. You look at his mannerisms breaking the huddle, he had full confidence in his ability to make that play.

“His alignment was good. His footwork was good and what we’ve been trying to get to, and he capped off by catching the ball.”

That last part was of particular importance to Porter. For if he merely knocked the ball away from Beckham, the Ravens still likely would have kicked a field goal and held a five-point lead with about four minutes to play.

“Going into the draft, there was speculation I couldn’t catch,” Porter said. “I didn’t like that around my name, so the fact I got to prove that against a wide receiver like OBJ and an MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson in a crucial moment was perfect for me.”

Still, Austin and Brown allowed that it would take more than one perfect play for Porter to ascend full-time into the Steelers lineup.

“What we’ve been doing is allow Joey to earn his reps and earn his time,” Austin said. “As he earns it, he sees more during the game. He’s starting to get it, starting to grow, starting to get better as a young guy.”

Brown alluded to seeing some growing pains from Porter in the Steelers’ 23-18 victory at Las Vegas two weeks earlier. Porter saw the field for only 10 defensive snaps the following week in a 30-6 loss at Houston.

“He didn’t execute as well (against the Raiders) as he did this past game,” Brown said. “It’s a process of building the complete player and building him up and reaching his full potential.”

Porter took a step in that direction with his interception in the fourth quarter against the Ravens.

“We needed that play to be made,” Brown said. “He needed that play to be made to show he’s doing the right things and going in the right direction.”

When the Steelers return next week from their bye, Porter is intent on showing the consistency the coaches seek from him so he can be on the field more frequently on first and second down in the base defense.

“That’s what I’m always hoping for,” he said, “to get more playing time and get out there with the guys. It’s really up to the coaches. I’m going to continue to work hard, show up every day just to prove I’m ready for more snaps.”