Pittsburgh Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. was one of the best rookie defenders during the 2023 NFL season. He was a finalist for the AP Defensive Rookie Of The Year Award, which ultimately was given to Will Anderson.
Finishing as a finalist for the award was impressive, especially considering the fact that Porter didn’t start his first game until Week 7. Before becoming a starter, he made plays late in games against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens to help secure Steelers victories.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin likes to give rookies time to adjust to the NFL, and usually has them start the year on the bench. This is what happened to Porter, despite it becoming clear he was the best corner on the team early on. There was no doubting his coverage skills going into the 2023 season, but his tackling did raise some questions throughout training camp. He struggled in open field tackling drills, which made fans skeptical, but once he got on the field in a meaningful game, he showed he was capable of playing at a high level.
Porter made headlines during the 2024 offseason when he called himself the best corner in the league, which instantly became the topic of a lot of NFL discussions. He recently joined NFL Insider, Jordan Schultz, on Instagram Live to discuss his comments and his career up to this point. The two chatted until Schultz eventually asked Porter if he had a “welcome to the NFL moment” during his rookie season.
Porter responded by saying having to cover Davante Adams made him realize just how hard the NFL could be. The two squared off in Week 3 of the 2023 season before Porter became a solidified starter. Adams had a huge game, catching 13 passes for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns. Porter was only on the field for 27 defensive snaps, so most of Adams’ production came against other defenders.
When he was on the field, Porter was targeted three times in coverage. He allowed just one completion for 12 yards, but was still able to recognize just how difficult it was to cover an elite receiver like Adams. Pittsburgh wound up winning the game 23-18. This isn’t the first time Porter has acknowledged Adams’ performance against Pittsburgh. During the 2023 season, he made similar comments in an appearance on The Richard Sherman Podcast.
Before Porter finished talking about what it was like to cover Adams, he made sure to announce how excited he was that the Steelers play the Las Vegas Raiders again in 2024. This time around, Porter will be a starter that will likely be following Adams all around the field. It will be an elite matchup between an up and coming corner, and one of the best receivers in the game. Hopefully this time, the Steelers are able to keep Adams in check, which should be manageable with Porter back in coverage.
Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. Made An Impact Before Getting The Chance To Start
Porter made a handful of impactful plays while coming off of the bench at the beginning of the 2023 season. In Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, he only played seven defensive snaps. This likely left a slight chip on his shoulder, as he bounced back in Week 2 and made the game saving stop on fourth down against the Browns.
Three weeks later against the Ravens, Porter contributed to another Steelers victory. He picked off Lamar Jackson in the end zone while he was trying to find Odell Beckham Jr. The game was close the entire contest, and his interception took points off the board for Baltimore as the Steelers won the game 17-10.
Porter looks to carry his success over into his sophomore season in 2024, and put on a show when Pittsburgh takes on the Raiders in Week 6.
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