Breaking: Pittsburgh Steelers Have Agreed To Terms With Rookie Cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms with second-round draft choice Joey Porter Jr. on Tuesday before the players report to training camp on Wednesday. The talented cornerback from Penn State's status through no fault of his own had been up in the air as training camp dates grew nearer with no deal in place. Steeler Nation can rejoice and be happy that it's now a guarantee that Porter will be joining his teammates on the field at St. Vincent College. 

Steelers beat writer for The Athletic, Mark Kaboly had the scoop on Tuesday afternoon stating that a source had told the publication that the California native, who was raised in Pittsburgh, had put pen to paper on a contract. There were two big reasons the pressure on getting a deal done was starting to ramp up. The first is obviously the start of camp in Latrobe, PA. The team wants Porter Jr. in camp and he should want to be there with his teammates, especially since he's a rookie. 

The second pressure point was the fact that the Tennessee Titans and quarterback Will Levis came to an agreement on July 22. Levis had first-round hype like Porter Jr. coming into the draft, but fell down the board to one pick behind him at pick 33. It felt like once the dominoes fell on Levis's contract being wrapped up, Porter was going to soon follow. 

Why It Was Important For Porter And The Steelers To Get This Done Now

The Steelers' cornerback room is a little bit light on starting experience entering the 2023 season. The team lost last year's top cornerback, the ultra-versatile Cameron Sutton in free agency to the Detroit Lions as he signed a lucrative deal this offseason. In comes veteran Patrick Peterson to offer some of that same versatility, as he tries to extend his career while starting to hit the back nine. He might not offer the longevity that Sutton could have if he'd stayed in Pittsburgh, but Peterson has a chance to outperform his junior in the short term. 

The team also has Levi Wallace who has proven to be a useful rotational corner with the ability to be an outside corner, but the number one option to be a consistent outside cornerback seemingly is Porter Jr. Kaboly argued earlier this offseason that Porter likely already has a starting job locked up. The veteran writer did say that if he had some kind of total implosion, the coaching staff might draw that back a bit. It's now confirmed that he will be in camp to either win or lose a potential starting job. 

The Steelers also added cornerback Cory Trice Jr. in the seventh round, but the raw prospect who fell down boards due to injury isn't likely to see the field much as a rookie barring injuries in front of him. Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley are part of the group competing for the nickel or slot corner role when it's not occupied by Peterson. James Pierre is the other name to watch in camp at the position. The fourth-year vet has played in 52 games in three years, but only made six starts. He has shown a knack for getting to the football and either coming away with it or knocking it out of harm's way. He has an interception and four pass breakups in each of the last two seasons. 

There will be no holding out for Porter Jr. and the team will be anxious to see how he performs against the likes of Diontae Johnson, and George Pickens in camp before the real tests begin Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Will you be going out to Latrobe to follow the battle for a starting cornerback job? Are you happy that Porter Jr. has finally put pen to paper? Comment below!

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