PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Joey Porter, Junior is getting better. He's come a long way since he started as a rookie. The Penn State corner has grown in every area. But is he ready to start?
"Not right now, when the time comes, it will come," said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
Secondary coach Grady Brown said they had to play Porter on Sunday because of the way he was performing. He went a little farther than the coordinator to say whoever is playing well will start. That will be determined by whoever is making plays.
"That's what I'm always hoping for," Porter said when asked about what it would mean to start. "More playing time just to get out there with the guys."
"It's really up to the coaches. I'm going to just continue to work hard, show up every day to prove I'm ready for more snaps."
Brown calls it an advantage for the Steelers to have three corners who could start for you at any time. He said when you look at the volume of plays throughout a game and factor in injuries, they are in a good spot.
It hasn't been a secret that the defensive plans include packages moving Patrick Peterson inside. They still have those thoughts, only with Peterson, not with Levi Wallace. Austin said they have enough players who can play in the slot that they won't move Levi inside with Porter and Peterson on the outside.
Wallace tells 93.7 The Fan he's not sure how the playing time will be divided going forward but is proud that all of them have an interception already this season. He's also noticed the improvement in Porter, Junior.
"Everybody knows that Joey is talented," Wallace said. "When you get to the next level, the speed of the game will change. Especially on defense and quarterback, when it slows down you are able to read a little bit better, see things a little clearer."
That interception for Porter was more than just getting that first NFL turnover. It was another opportunity to prove critics wrong, to show while he only had one pick at Penn State, he can catch the ball.
"Going into the Draft, there was speculation I couldn't catch," Porter, Junior said. "I didn't like that around my name. The fact that I got to prove that against a good wide receiver in OBJ and an MVP QB in Lamar Jackson in a crucial moment was perfect for me."
"This may be my first time saying this, he really did everything well on that play," Brown said of Porter's fourth quarter interception on Sunday. "If you look at his footwork. You look back at him pre-snap, he showed a lot of confidence. That was a very weighty moment and you just look at his mannerisms breaking the huddle. He had full confidence in his ability to make that play. His alignment was good. His footwork was good and he capped it off by catching the ball."
"We needed that play to be made. He needed that play to be made just to show that I'm working on the right things and going in the right direction."
"We all need moments like that to provide positive reinforcement. I can't say enough great things. He played better in the last game than he did against Las Vegas. He was in some situations against a good receiver (Davonte Adams), didn't execute as great as he did this past game. It's a process of building a great player and building him up to reach his full potential."
"They said to keep working hard," Porter said of what he's hearing from the coaching staff. "I'm a young guy coming into it. I still have to make that transition from college to the NFL. I'm making a smooth transition and they are seeing that. That's why I'm getting more snaps as the weeks go by."
Brown said Porter is in a great situation to learn from not only Peterson and Wallace, but Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee. He said it's like Porter has a bunch of big brothers and he said it's really paid off with how to watch film and what can really be learned.
"He's growing up right before our eyes," Brown said. "There is a lot of work to be done, but I've seen growth in every part of his game."
