Joey Porter Jr. remains limited in practice

This situation looks like it remains touch-and-go as the “business angle to this situation that cannot be ignored as the sides remain at an impasse in contract discussions” continues. Obviously, it would be enormous for the Steelers if they had a healthy Porter for JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins in Week 3. Whether that happens remains to be seen.

Porter was declared out on Friday due to a back issue that also kept him out of Week 1. With his contract situation also up in the air, it is unclear if Porter will return in Week 3. Also inactive for the Steelers are WR Michael Pittman Jr., QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, OG Gennings Dunker, DL Kevin Jobity Jr., and DE Gabriel Rubio. Pittman was ruled out with a foot injury while Howard will serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback.

Porter Jr. missed training camp and the first two weeks of the regular season with the back issue. His absence was initially believed to be purely related to his contract situation. He lobbied for a new deal all summer and never seemed to make much progress. But the fact that he is seeking additional medical opinions indicates the back issue is real. The Steelers, on the other hand, aren’t buying it. According to Schefter, they are planning for him to potentially play in Week 3. This situation is getting uglier by the week. It’s possible a trade is best for everyone involved. Until some progress is made, the Steelers will continue to be without their top corner.

ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported earlier today that the Steelers and Porter are at an impasse over the guaranteed money the Steelers are offering as the two sides attempt to agree on an extension. The Steelers typically do not guarantee any money beyond the deal’s first year. Porter, obviously, takes issue with that policy. He also seemingly has a back injury. According to Pryor, Porter’s relationship with the team may be damaged beyond repair.

According to Pryor, the Steelers’ relationship with Porter “may be fractured beyond repair.” The fourth-year corner has been seeking a contract extension all offseason and missed Week 1 with a back injury that some believe could improve with a new deal. Porter logged a full practice on Wednesday only to reaggravate it on Thursday, putting his Week 2 availability in doubt. According to Pryor, one major holdup in a deal between Porter and the Steelers is the lack of guaranteed money the Steelers are willing to give him. The Steelers typically don’t give out guaranteed money beyond the first year of a deal, but made an exception for T.J. Watt on his extension. Porter reportedly hoped for a similar exception, but so far, that hasn’t happened. This situation remains far from resolved. With Friday’s practice still to go, we’ll see if Porter is ruled in/out before the weekend or if his status will be one to look out for closer to game day.

The back designation is new. He left practice with the training staff on Thursday. It seems likely that he reaggravated his existing back injury. Based on that, it wouldn’t be surprising if he remained sidelined for Week 2.

Porter Jr. missed all of training camp with a back injury and then sat out of Week 1 after getting in three limited practices. The team removed his back injury from their report this week, only listing him as limited for conditioning reasons and rest on Wednesday. Mike McCarthy told reporters the plan was for him to do more today. That clearly isn’t happening. It’s unclear if the back issue flared up again or if this is something new. Either way, Porter Jr. appears to be on the wrong side of questionable for Week 2.

Porter’s strange situation continues. The Steelers’ No. 1 cornerback spent August on the active/physically unable to perform list with a back injury. He also spent August pursuing a lucrative contract extension. Porter did not play in Week 1. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said he increased his workload today, but he is still not guaranteed to play in Week 2.

Speaking to media Monday, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said cornerback Joey Porter Jr. would not play until he completes his “ramp-up period,” which effectively leaves a potential return open-ended. As we understand it, Porter Jr. has yet to participate in a full practice, but is “communicating with the trainer every day.” McCarthy added, “We’ll get him out there when he’s ready to go through a full practice.” Porter Jr. missed the entirety of the offseason program with a back injury but is also seeking a new contract, with the potential that the discussions surrounding dollars has influence on the current situation. More to come in this developing saga.

McCarthy said he expects Porter to play once his ramp-up period ends, as he works to return from a back injury that sidelined him for much of training camp. It’s been widely speculated that Porter’s absence has more to do with his contract situation rather than an injury, but McCarthy is talking like a coach who is working to get an injured player back on the field. Porter did practice in a limited capacity all of last week, so we’ll see if he can get upgraded to a full participant sometime this week and have a chance to see the field in Week 2 against the Patriots.