Steelers Rookie Joey Porter Jr. Fires Back In Response To Bengals WR's Criticism

Things are all over the place for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now. Heading into Week 16, drama surrounding the franchise seems to be at an all-time high for a Mike Tomlin-led team. Opponents are starting to notice it as well, as Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd made sure to take a jab after the recent controversy with George Pickens. The seasoned veteran referenced Pittsburgh's lack of camaraderie as Pickens has continued to create drama. 

Of course, the two sides face off in a divisional matchup this weekend with serious postseason hopes on the line. Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will be tasked with slowing down the Bengals' talented wide receiver group, which does include Boyd. On Thursday, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the rookie cornerback made sure to respond to Boyd's recent comments ahead of the Week 16 matchup.

"He wouldn't know. He's not in this locker room, so his opinion really doesn't matter. I feel he got a misread on the whole situation. Like I said, he's not in the locker room, so he doesn't know what's going on in the locker room. It's just all outside [noise]. So, yeah, that's all I have to say on that," Porter said on Thursday.

As aforementioned, there are serious playoff implications this weekend. After three consecutive seasons, the Steelers essentially need to win their final three contests to have a shot at the postseason. For the Bengals, they've found some success even after the season-ending injury to superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. They sit at 8-6, a game ahead of the Steelers in the postseason race.

It's worth noting that the Steelers did defeat the Bengals in the first meeting nearly a month ago. It was Pittsburgh's first game without Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada, and the offense had its first 400-yard contest in years. Unfortunately, the offense hasn't been able to replicate that same kind of success over the last three games, which has led to the losing streak.

In a season of chaos, Porter has been one of the lone bright spots for Pittsburgh. It took nearly two months for the coaching staff to give him a full-time starting job, which they said was due to his inconsistent tackling. Since taking over though, he's done a great job of slowing down opposing teams' top wideouts. In fact, the entire 2023 rookie class has been as advertised for Tomlin's squad.

Where Would The Steelers Secondary Be Without Porter?

Philadelphia Eagles rookie defensive lineman, Jalen Carter has become the runaway favorite for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with -6000 odds on FanDuel. Porter is tied-for-fourth in odds at +20000 for an award that's awfully hard for a cornerback to win given the position's limited opportunities for impressive statistics. Boyd, who had just three catches for 23 yards in the first meeting against the Steelers, isn't exactly wrong in his assessment.

Other teams can smell blood at this point, as it's obvious that Pittsburgh isn't in a good state at the moment. Tomlin had to specifically address Pickens' recent antics in a special press conference on Wednesday. We'll see if the Steelers can stop that bleeding in Week 16 with everything on the line. In the meantime, Pittsburgh defenders may make it a point of emphasis to slow down Boyd on Saturday after he provided some bulletin board material. 

What are your thoughts on Boyd's comments on the recent state of the Steelers? Do you think Tomlin is losing the locker room in his 17th season as head coach? What is your confidence level for the team to beat the Bengals this upcoming weekend? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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