Jalen Ramsey Shows Support for Joey Porter Jr. During Steelers Game

PITTSBURGH -- Even with Joey Porter Jr. absent from the Pittsburgh Steelers lineup, he continues to impact the roster.

The Steelers declared the cornerback inactive ahead of their Week 2 contest against the New England Patriots, but the reason why depends on who you ask. Whether it's his back injury or the contract situation keeping him off the field doesn't matter, as it became clear at least one of his teammates is lobbying for him to return.

Veteran defensive back Jalen Ramsey has been a mentor to Porter Jr. since arriving in Pittsburgh and is a vocal leader on and off the field for the Steelers. On a third-down play that was called back due to an offsides penalty, Ramsey got home and took down Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. As he ran off the field, Ramsey appeared to gesture the numbers two and four with his fingers.

Ramsey Makes Clear Where He Stands on Steelers and JPJ

There wasn't much doubt before where Ramsey stood on the issue. Before the season began, Ramsey championed Porter Jr. He called for the organization to pay him his value as one of the best players in the league and on their defense.

"I'm overly in Joey's corner," he said during the preseason. "Joey needs to get compensated for being a valuable part of this secondary and a valuable part of this defense and team."

Ramsey's latest sack celebration is the icing on the cake regarding where he stands. Ramsey is a player who clearly backs his younger counterpart and wants to see him receive a huge extension.

Is JPJ Following Ramsey's Lead?

There has been some speculation about the Steelers' corner utilizing a play that Ramsey knows very well in his current negotiations.

While Ramsey was a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was publicly unhappy with the negotiations surrounding his extension. Around the time of the season beginning, an injury to Ramsey's back popped up. He sought a second opinion on the issue after the team didn't believe it to be as serious as the player claimed. Ultimately, Ramsey was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and signed a new deal.

Fast forward to 2026 and JPJ is in a strangely familiar situation.

Now, there is some difference in the two situations. One is that Porter Jr. has been dealing with a back injury or some version of it for some time. Early into his NFL career, he spent time on the injury report with a back ailment. This year, he's been dealing with a back injury since training camp began.

Another is that Ramsey was a bit more accomplished at the time of his standoff. He'd already made a few Pro Bowls and been named a First-Team All-Pro.

It depends who you ask and who you believe, but it's clear where Ramsey falls on this subject.

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