'I Never Really Struggled Against Them' - Joey Porter Jr.'s Status For Bengals Matchup Revealed

Cincinnati is ready for another battle in this rivalry.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) exchange words in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Bengals lost 34-12. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Joey Porter Jr. is unlikely to hit the field this week against Cincinnati as he continues going through a contract dispute with the Steelers and conditioning ramp up for game action, but there's no dispute in his mind about how he's played against the Bengals' elite pass-catching group across five total outings.

The Ringer's Tom Pelissero reported on X that he is unlikely to play on Sunday after talking about the matchup this week.

"Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. appears unlikely to make his season debut Sunday against the Bengals. But he is trending in the right direction to be back on the field soon — with a trade still a possibility," Pelissero posted.

Porter told the media he's "never really struggled" against the dynamic duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

They've combined for an average of 10.3 receptions, 145.8 receiving yards, and 1.17 touchdowns across six total outings since Porter joined the team. Chase and Higgins each missed a game in that stretch, leaving Porter with five matchups.

Not crazy-high numbers but still good production.

"Yeah, it's always a good matchup with the Bengals and what they got over there. Their talented and I always want to sharpen iron on iron. So definitely getting out there with those guys is always a good match," Porter said before expanding more on the topic later. "I played them six times. Tee and Chase five times each because they both hurt one time out of the six. But yeah, I feel like I have a good indication of those guys and what they like to do. And I never really struggled against them, so it's always been fun for me getting them through."

Individually, Porter isn't wrong. It's hard to fully attach coverage stats to one CB-WR matchup, but he's played 180 coverage snaps against Cincinnati in the past two seasons, with 127 yards allowed, no touchdowns, and a sub-70 passer rating in his coverage area.

Joe Burrow obviously missed a few of those games, so Pitt could get torched this week by Higgins or Chase, but time will tell if the latest CB confidence talk rings true again. Tampa Bay cornerback Zion McCollum talked a big game before Week 1 about Chase and didn't allow any big plays to Cincinnati's best wide receiver.

"Quarterback and receiver is all about a feedback loop and constant communication," Burrow said about the key to WR-QB chemistry this week. "We've had all those conversations and continue to have them, and it's just about constant dialog."

Check out the full clip from Porter below:

Joey Porter Jr. on matching up against Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, via @bepryor:

"I never really struggled against them so it's always been fun for me getting out there with them."pic.twitter.com/UWm9DnPCBh

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 24, 2026

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