The Pittsburgh Steelers are planning for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to possibly make his season debut against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 27, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
However, Porter has a back injury that has "flared up when he's tried to go full speed," a source told Schefter. The 26-year-old has reportedly considered seeking a second medical opinion.
Porter was ruled out of Sunday's matchup against the New England Patriots after being a limited participant in practice this week.
The Steelers and Porter have been struggling to find common ground on a possible new deal. Pittsburgh typically doesn't negotiate in-season extensions. Porter, however, believes that he deserves a lucrative deal after teammates Keeanu Benton, Nick Herbig, and Darnell Washington signed extensions.
Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, and Denzel Ward are among the cornerbacks who received extensions worth more than $31 million per year leading up to the 2026 season.
Porter is playing out the final year of his rookie contract and carries a $4.2-million cap hit, per Over the Cap.
