Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. denied making a trade request and promised to "definitely" play when healthy in his first comments after the team's self-imposed deadline for contract extensions, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo.
Porter missed the first two games of the season due to a back injury. Rumors that he was seeking a fresh start elsewhere swirled after he and the Steelers couldn't agree on an extension during the offseason.
The 2023 second-round pick said Thursday that he's left those failed contract talks in his rearview mirror.
"It didn't get done," Porter said. "It didn't happen. That's really just old news for me now. It's mainly just focused on what I got ahead of me, and just really getting back to 100%."
Porter added that he was unsure if he'd be healthy enough to make his season debut Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, admitting that he's still having some issues with his back.
"My back has its moments where it flares up here and there," Porter explained. "We're still just trying to get my conditioning down."
The 26-year-old cornerback watched several of his teammates who were drafted in 2023 sign extensions this offseason, including Keeanu Benton, Darnell Washington, and Nick Herbig. NFL cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez also signed lucrative extensions in recent months. The latter's contract set the record for the position with an average value of $33.75 million per year.
Porter, who is slated to become a free agent after the season, is an instrumental piece of the Steelers' defense. He's recorded three interceptions and 31 pass breakups over his three-year career.
