Steelers Rookie Joey Porter Jr. Remains Patient As He Awaits More Playing Time: "We'll Just See What The People Upstairs Say"

The Pittsburgh Steelers used the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on cornerback Joey Porter Jr. With the addition of future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson in the 2023 offseason and the veteran presence of Levi Wallace, it was known going into the season that Porter Jr. would be seeing the field in a limited capacity. However, after the first three weeks of the season, Porter Jr. has looked remarkable when on the field, yet is still being told to ride the bench for the time being. 

Steelers Still Keeping Porter Jr. On The Sideline

Porter Jr. has been on the field for just 21 percent of the Steelers defensive snaps, with most coming from when he is inserted into the game for the Steelers dime package, and some coming as a fill in for an injury. In the snaps he has been on the field, he has one pass defensed and has only allowed one reception in the five times he has been targeted while allowing just a 39.6 passer rating. Porter Jr. spoke with Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette regarding his playing time and how he has felt his start to the year has been. 

"I showed I can hang with the best of them with my technique and everything, I just got to keep stacking those days and making the plays that come to me. I feel like it's going pretty good. I'm stacking days every time I get on the field with those guys. The communication is going well."

Porter Jr. especially showed off his technique in the Steelers' Week 2 win against the Cleveland Browns. He even played well against the Las Vegas Raiders while covering Davante Adams, who is widely considered the best receiver in the league. 

The Steelers secondary hasn't been horrible this season, but it can definitely be improved. After allowing the Raiders to march up and down the field in the fourth quarter by passing the ball and allowing Adams to catch 13 passes for 172 receiving yards and two touchdowns, some are calling to see more of Porter Jr. on the field in the base defense. Peterson and Wallace have each given up two touchdowns in coverage, and many fans are hoping to see either of those veterans start to split some playing time with Porter Jr. When asked about his playing time, Porter Jr. explained he will continue to work harder and await his time. 

"I don't know. I say it every week - we'll just see what the people upstairs say. We're just going to keep working. It's really not up to me. I got to show them I'm ready and keep gaining confidence every time I step out there."

Porter Jr. is the only highly picked cornerback from the 2023 NFL Draft that has yet to break the starting lineup for his team. The Steelers have a history of easing their rookies into getting more playing time, which can be seen in how Porter Jr. is seeing limited playing time and Broderick Jones still not seeing the field despite Dan Moore Jr.'s visible struggles. 

For the time being, it seems Porter Jr. will only be seeing consistent playing time in the dime package and to fill in for Wallace or Peterson if they need a few plays off. While it isn't easy to wait on the sidelines, this is nothing new to Porter Jr. as he had to wait to see the field at Penn State when he first arrived in college. 

"I did it before at Penn State. I waited my turn. It's nothing new to me. Everybody wants to play. It's just the scheme of things and how things are run. I'm just waiting."

Porter Jr. will continue to patiently wait. He has however seen an increase in playing time in each of the Steelers first three games of 2023. In Week 1, he played on just 10 percent of the team's defensive snaps. In Week 2, it was 16 percent, and Week 3, he was on the field for 38 percent of the plays. The large jump from Week 2 to Week 3 shouldn't be attributed to the team trying to get him more involved, as he filled in for Levi Wallace for five plays when Wallace was dealing with an injury. 

Hopefully we will be able to see more of Porter Jr. soon, when do you think he will make his first start? Let us know in the comments below!

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