Steelers' Hands Might Be Tied With Joey Porter Jr.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' hands may be tied with Joey Porter Jr.

During an appearance on "Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show," former Steelers quarterback and NFLPA rep Charlie Batch stated why the Steelers fining Porter Jr. if he continues to not play could potentially snowball into a dispute with the Players Association.

"It starts back in training camp when the Steelers designated him with the back injury and put him on PUP," Batch said. "Fast-forward to where are now. The team is saying he's healthy... and they're now removing the back as the designation tag.

"This could potentially be a union issue only because if the Steelers try to go after his money if he cannot play, meaning fining him for conduct detrimental, they're gonna lean back on the original tag to say, 'Wait a minute, you designated him with a back.' And if that's the case, that mean they're gonna claim somebody lied and it wasn't the player."

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) reacts after a play during the second half of an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Potential Complications for Steelers with Porter Jr.'s Injury Situation

It's unknown if Pittsburgh has or would ever consider fining Porter Jr. It still feels like that possibility is a ways away given where the situation stands right now, but it's not the most far-fetched idea in the world depending on what transpires moving forward.

Batch also raises a strong point in that if the Steelers were to ever fine him at some point for continuing to not play after having missed the first two games of the season, the NFLPA could point out that he was placed on the PUP list with his back injury in training camp while having it listed on the injury report each of the past two weeks as well.

There was some thought that Porter Jr. landed on the PUP list in camp due to ongoing contract negotiations, and perhaps that was actually the leading factor in that decision being made more so than his back. That injury is still lingering, though, with head coach Mike McCarthy noting that it flared up ahead of the team's Week 2 game against the New England Patriots and led to him being held out once again, further complicating matters.

What are Pittsburgh's Options with Porter Jr.?

ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported on September 20 that the Steelers were planning on Porter Jr. potentially returning to the field against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, while adding that he was weighing the idea of seeking a second opinion on his back.

We're now just a handful of days away from that bout between the two AFC North rivals, however, and there still isn't any real clarity on Porter Jr.'s return timeline, though his back injury was removed from the first injury report of the week.

It's at least feasible that he could play against the 2-0 Bengals, which would offer a huge boost considering Cincinnati has a potent passing offense led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but it's not a guarantee that Porter Jr. will be out there at Acrisure Stadium this week.

The trade market for Porter Jr. has yet to develop, and it might never truly be kick-started, though Pittsburgh has to at seriously ponder that idea if he doesn't take any steps forward in the near future.

The two sides are not going to reach an agreement on an extension now that the season is in full swing. The Steelers would be comfortable letting Porter Jr. play out the final year of his rookie deal before reopening talks in the offseason. The same might not be able to be said for the 26-year-old and his camp.

Everything remains status quo for now, but an inflection point has to be around the corner.

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