Steelers Rule Out Joey Porter Jr. Again Amid Contract Standoff

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has been ruled out for a second consecutive week as a contract standoff between the fourth-year defender and the team shows no signs of resolution. Porter, 26, missed the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons and will not play in Sunday's Week 2 game against the New England Patriots. The Steelers have cited a lingering back injury and conditioning as the reasons for his absence. Porter spent all of training camp on the physically unable to perform list because of the back issue, and the team listed him as limited in Wednesday's practice with conditioning listed as the cause. Thursday's injury report, however, indicated he was still dealing with the back injury, and he was ruled out on Friday. Porter had left Thursday's practice early, walking off the field with a member of the training staff after participating in warmups and a single drill. The backdrop is an unresolved contract dispute. Porter is in the final season of his four-year rookie contract worth 9.6 million dollars and is set for free agency in 2027.