The Pittsburgh Steelers are planning for Joey Porter Jr., who has missed the first two games of the season, to potentially return for their Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, sources told ESPN.
But whether or not Porter actually does return is a bit more ambiguous and is connected to the star cornerback’s back injury and conditioning level.
Porter’s back, according to a source, has “flared up when he’s tried to go full speed, and they haven’t been able to get it where it needs to be.” Porter has been considering getting a second opinion on his back.
The results of a second medical opinion would help determine whether the Steelers get their wish to have their standout cornerback back in time to match up with Bengals wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins next weekend.
The Steelers might think, as one source described this week, that Porter is “fired up about playing against Cincinnati,” but there is a business angle to this situation that cannot be ignored as the sides remain at an impasse in contract discussions.
The Steelers, as a rule, don’t negotiate in-season contract extensions. Porter believes he is worthy of a lucrative new deal, the likes of which assorted teammates have signed during the offseason. But the two sides haven’t gotten close to an agreement, which has brought the possibility of a trade into play.
For now, the Steelers think Porter could be back next Sunday. Others think Porter’s back still needs attention -- and the story that has lingered throughout the offseason is continuing on unabated two weeks into the regular season.
Porter, 26, was ruled out for this Sunday’s road game against the New England Patriots after being listed as limited in practice all week. The four-year veteran left Thursday’s practice early with a team trainer.
Porter’s teammates have continued to support him and say his situation hasn’t been a distraction inside the locker room.
“I’m with Joe, whatever he’s doing -- whether it’s injury, whether it’s contract, whatever it is, I respect it,” Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen said Thursday. “I’m behind him 100%. I tell him every single time, ‘I respect how you go about your business every single day.’”
