Steelers contract drama grows as Joey Porter Jr. lands on PUP
The Pittsburgh Steelers opened training camp with more questions surrounding Joey Porter Jr.'s contract situation after the standout cornerback was placed on the PUP list. Is this a legitimate injury, or part of the ongoing extension negotiations? Here's what it could mean for Pittsburgh as camp gets underway.
Video Transcript
You know Pittsburgh Steelers football is back when the drama returns because Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan went up to the podium on Tuesday to start Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, mentioned players who were on the PUP list, Dante Kent, and of course cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
We made an earlier video about that.
But he had no mention of Joey Porter Jr. As many Steelers fans know, Joey Porter Jr. And the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in a standoff in terms of his contract extension.
Obviously, he wants to be paid in terms of one of the top five corners in the league, if not even higher, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have been slow playing that as of late.
And now he is going to start camp on the physically unable to perform list.
Now, do I think that Joey Porter Jr. Actually suffered an injury?
Absolutely not.
This guy was out there in OTAs.
He was out there in mini-camp.
He looked fine the entire time.
There was no reports from anybody or anyone that he suffered any injury.
Yet we get to training camp and now he's physically unable to perform.
What he is actually doing, in my opinion, is performing the first stage of a hold-in.
But because of optics, because of the Pittsburgh Steelers and not wanting it to seem that they have one of their star corners, a obviously legacy player in Joey Porter Jr., holding in, they're gonna place him on the PUP, say he has a hamstring, a calf, a lower back, something of that sort.
And when and if he gets his new contract, he will magically reappear and be on the practice field.
So this isn't really a surprise.
Does it stink for Steelers fans?
Probably.
Would you like to have one of your best players, and a young player, an ascending talent, on the football field getting as many reps as he can?
Absolutely.
But I'm not really sure that this changes things between the Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. You guys let me know in the comments below, what do you think of this move by the Pittsburgh Steelers?
