Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has returned to practice, participating Tuesday after being activated off the physically unable to perform list. However, his availability for the team's Week 1 game on September 13 against the Atlanta Falcons remains uncertain as he is currently engaged in a contract dispute with the team.
Porter's rookie contract expires after the current season, and he has yet to sign an extension. When asked directly about his Week 1 status, Porter offered conflicting statements. "Yeah, for sure," he said, according to ESPN, before adding, "maybe." He remained noncommittal when questioned about playing without a new deal, stating, "I don't know. I've got to talk to the guys upstairs [in the front office] and my agents about that one."
Since entering the league as the 32nd overall pick in 2023, Porter has recorded 31 passes defended and three interceptions. In the 2025 season, his 11 pass breakups ranked seventh among cornerbacks, and Pro Football Focus graded him 34th out of 114 corners with a 67.6. Porter, the son of Steelers legend Joey Porter, is receiving advice from his father and is focused on returning to full health.
"Really can't speak too much about the future," Porter said, per ESPN. "But today I was out there today running with the guys, still trying to get back fully, but we're going to take it day by day for the most part."
Porter appears to be next in line for an extension, following recent deals for linebacker Nick Herbig and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. Steelers general manager Omar Khan indicated that the team would not engage in contract negotiations during the season, setting a firm deadline of September 13. "We won't talk publicly about the negotiations per se, but Joey knows how we feel about him, and I still hope Joey finishes his career here," Khan stated. "Our policy is going to remain in place, but I'm not going to talk about negotiations."