The Pittsburgh Steelers have been giving Joey Porter Jr. more and more opportunities to see the field as his rookie season progresses in 2023. When the team drafted him with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin was excited about what the young man would be able to bring to the defense. He said they'd know when the time was right to elevate him to a starting position.
Associated Press
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. defends a pass against Cleveland Browns receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones during a regular season game in Pittsburgh in 2023.
Porter was elevated in the second half against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5 and rewarded the coaching staff for putting him in by snagging his first career interception. In what has become a regular occurrence at Austin's press conference availabilities, he laughed before reiterating that he's not ready to put Porter in as a full-time starter yet.
"Not right now," he said with a big smile on his face. "When the time comes, it'll come."
The Steelers have mostly been rolling with veterans Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson on the outside, with Porter rotating in on different packages with extra defensive backs. That changed in the second half against Baltimore when Porter emerged from the break on the outside. While it was reported that Porter would be in line to become the starter when the team travels to play the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7 after the bye week, Austin doesn't seem to think that Porter is ready to handle full-time starting duty. Defensive Backs Coach Grady Brown left the door open to Porter potentially starting when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.
DBs Coach Grady Brown on Joey Porter Jr’s playing time:
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) October 10, 2023
“We did play him more in the last game outside of just the dime packages…when you’re in a game like that…if a guy’s playing well, you have to continue to play that guy.”
Noted ‘we’ll see’ if he comes out of bye starting.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers rookie cornerback secures an interception during the training camp session held on Aug 3, 2023, in Latrobe, PA.
Pittsburgh has been easing the Penn State product into NFL action. Porter played only 10% of defensive plays in his NFL debut against the San Francisco 49ers. Head Coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the club's win over the Cleveland Browns that as Porter continued to make plays in games, his playing time would continue to increase. So far, he's stayed mostly true to his word as that number has fluctuated in the weeks since. He played in 38% of snaps against the Las Vegas Raiders and saw his usage go down to 14% against the Houston Texans, but reached a season-high of 40% against the Ravens on Sunday.
The last time that Tomlin drafted a cornerback higher than Porter was in 2016 when the team grabbed Artie Burns in the first round. He finished the season with nine starts, but they all came after the team's Week 8 bye in 2016. Burns' snap count on defense varied a bit before the bye, but after his first career start against the Ravens in Week 9, he never dipped below 86%, while he had five games playing every snap.
The franchise is hoping that Porter can blossom into more than what Burns was, so giving him some time to break into the pro game makes a ton of sense. As he continues to progress, he should make it hard on Austin to come out every week and tell the media that he's not ready yet.
Steelers' Austin Pleased With Porter's Growth
The plan for Porter that has been regurgitated over and over by both Tomlin and Austin is that Porter needs to show them he's ready for full-time duty. When they see it, they will adjust accordingly.
Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. come together to take down Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill during a regular season game in Pittsburgh in 2023. | Steelers.com
Austin said that Porter is showing him and the coaching staff some good things and as he continues to show more progress, his opportunities will increase. Playing Porter more on the outside should also allow the team to use Peterson in different ways as they touted when they signed him.
"Really what we’ve been doing is allowing Joey [Porter] to earn his reps and his time... As he earns it through the things he does in practice and in a game, then he sees more during the games. That’s what you’re starting to see is him starting to get it, starting to get better. As a young guy, there’s growth at this time of the year and he’s playing well.”
Porter is an important player for the Steelers defense moving forward and it's clear that the coaching staff doesn't want to expose him before they believe he is ready. That day it would seem is coming soon, but just not quite yet.
Do you think Porter should be starting? Do you agree with easing him into action? Comment below!
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