Steelers Officially Need Joey Porter Jr. Back

It's time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to finally put their star cornerback back on the field.

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

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers must finally admit that they need Joey Porter Jr. No one knows if they're actually going to get him, but leaving their first AFC North battle (with a win), the black and gold could certainly use their star cornerback back on the field.

The Steelers moved to 2-1 on the season and 1-0 in their division following a 30-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The defense didn't play well, but after two impressive games, it's hard to hand them a strike in an AFC North showdown where anything can happen, and the wildest things usually do.

Why do they need Joey Porter Jr. back then? Well, while the defense as a whole gets a pass, one player doesn't - and even the coaches weren't giving it to him.

The Steelers ended the game with a forced fumble caused by Derrick Harmon and recovered by Sebastian Joseph-Day. Who was on the field during that final drive caught everyone's attention, though. Because after playing the entire game on the outside, Asante Samuel Jr. was on the sideline for Cincinnati's last five offensive plays. In his place was third-round rookie Daylen Everette.

Samuel was benched by the end of the game, and it didn't come as a total surprise. The defense gave up 282 passing yards and three touchdowns to Joe Burrow, who continuously targeted Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins when they were across from Samuel.

That included a crucial third down conversation and a touchdown pass, both of which came when one-on-one against Samuel.

It became very evident that the Steelers couldn't play man coverage against the Bengals because of Samuel's inability to keep up. That was a problem. One the Steelers know the answer to, and need to hope is ready to return to the field.

Time for Joey Porter Jr.

Maybe Porter Jr. wouldn't have stopped every play that came his way against the Bengals. But it's hard to deny that the team would've at least had the option to switch to man coverage and try to have him shut down Higgins or Chase on the outside, or even line him up against them in those crucial moments.

Pittsburgh can't go the entire season playing zone; it just won't work. They're going to face teams with strong weapons offensively that can find the holes in zone coverage and take advantage of them. Eventually, it's going to become an issue to only have one defensive coverage ability.

Porter Jr. changes that, and gives the Steelers the options they need against strong passing offenses.

The Steelers will not negotiate in-season with Porter Jr. The two sides have hung up their negotiations and are now either working toward getting him back on the field or finding him a new home.

Pittsburgh could certainly use him, though. And unless Everette is a star corner from day one, Porter Jr. is the best, and maybe the only, solution to their very apparent problem.

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