Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will miss his second straight game on Sunday and his outlook for Week 3 remains uncertain as well.
The plan was for Porter to ramp up his workload this week, but he had to leave practice early on Thursday after his back flared up and he was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Patriots. Porter is also working on his conditioning after spending all of training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Steelers are targeting Week 3’s game against the Bengals for his 2026 debut, but that Porter is considering a second opinion on his back. All of this is playing out against the backdrop of Porter’s desire for a new contract that the Steelers aren’t expected to discuss given their longstanding policy of not negotiating during the season.
That impasse has led to speculation about a trade, although nothing appears imminent with Week 2 about to get underway. Should Porter remain out as the trade deadline draws closer, things could change on that front.