The Pittsburgh Steelers got the gift that keeps on giving from the Chicago Bears in the form of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. He is the son of Steelers' well-known tough guy, linebacker Joey Porter Sr. Porter Jr. has been making the Steel City incredibly proud this season by stepping up and handling some of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Despite him just being named the Steelers' Rookie of the Year, and receiving the Joe Greene Great Performance Award, dads will be dads, and Porter Sr. is no exception. He has been coaching his son his whole life, both on and off the field. Despite previously being a Steelers coach, he is now just a spectator at his son's games. That hasn't stopped him however, from inserting his two cents and trying to help him improve.
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Former Penn State cornerback, Joey Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. was the Steelers' first second-round pick in 2023 and was the first pick overall of that round. They obtained the pick via a trade with the Bears for wide receiver Chase Claypool. Porter Jr. played college football for the University of Penn State and between that and his family tree, many Steelers fans were advocating for Pittsburgh to draft him with their first-round pick. However, General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin had a different idea. They selected Broderick Jones, the offensive tackle out of the University of Georgia with the 14th overall pick. The fans who were hoping for Porter Jr. were certain he would be long gone by the time Pittsburgh had their next pick, but fortunately for the Steel City, he was still there and they were able to bring him home.
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Might Be A Pro, But His Dad Is Still Coaching Him
The Steelers are known to ease their rookies into playing time, rather than throwing them to the wolves like many teams do. Porter Jr. was no exception. Tomlin started him out with just a few defensive snaps each game until the coaching staff was sure he could handle starting. Veteran cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace were struggling to shut down offenses early in the season and it just made Porter Jr. look better and better.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. gets some tips from veteran defensive back Patrick Peterson during the 2023 training camp.
Apparently, despite his success, his dad still has critiques. According to a post by Brooke Pryor on X, Porter Sr. gave Porter Jr. some tackling advice.
"Joey Porter Jr. says his dad didn't like his tackling 'at all' and has been helping him with it in their post-game talks," tweeted Pryor.
Porter Jr. said in a clip that was shared by 93.7 The Fan to X that he believes he has improved his tackling a lot this season. He credits a lot of that improvement to the help he has been getting from his father. Porter Jr. told the media that neither of them was happy with how he was tackling.
"I probably wouldn't want it no other way, I like when he's hard on me," laughs Porter Jr. "He [was] like, 'You never want to put something on tape where you want to turn your head.' So I was like, 'Yeah, we got to get that off my tape.' I feel like we've been trending in the right direction with that."
Porter Jr. has been voluntarily guarding some of the most productive wide receivers in the league, including D.K. Metcalf, Davante Adams, and DeAndre Hopkins. While Porter Jr. has definitely gotten better at tackling, it is a skill that players work on for the lifetime of their careers. He has everything working in his favor right now, including passion for the game, incredible work ethic, and a dad who made 689 combined tackles during his 13-year career in the NFL.
Through Week 17 of his rookie season, Porter has 43 total tackles, 32 that were solo, and one interception. What is harder to put on a stat line is the way he is disruptive to the offenses. He has been shutting down wide receivers that other corners struggle with. So far this season, he has 10 passes defended.
While he has been criticized for being too "handsy" in the past, he seems to be adapting to the NFL. While he has had a few defensive pass interference and defensive holding penalties called against him, he seems to be improving, while the NFL is getting stricter about these calls.
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Steelers former linebacker Joey Porter Sr. hoists his sons, one of which is Joey Porter Jr., after winning Super Bowl XL.
Porter Jr., along with the rest of his draft class, seem to be a steal right now. Only time will tell how successful he will be, but in the meantime, he has all the intangibles that make for a great NFL player. Keep doing what you're doing, Dad! It's working!
What do you think about Porter Jr. as a cornerback? What do you think about his tackling technique? Click to comment below!
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