Porter's Return & Contract Clock | NFL News

0:00It's September 1st. I'm Cory with the story, and this is NFL News Today, your AI-powered football briefing. Alright, so the Steelers are locked in for the regular season, cutting their roster down to 53 players. But there's still a question mark hanging over one key guy, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. He missed most of training camp in preseason, with a back injury he picked up on day 1. They had him on the Pub List, but took him off Sunday so he wouldn't automatically miss the first four games. Now, the word from head coach Mike McCarthy is that Porter should be back on the practice field this week. He mentioned there's a ramp-up process for any player coming back, especially after being on PUP, so they'll ease him in. It sounds like they're optimistic he'll be ready to go, but it's a gradual return. Beyond the injury, Porter is also in contract talks. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal, and wants a new contract before the season kicks off. Time is definitely running short on that front. The team's stance is, they won't negotiate a new deal once the season starts.

1:02If they can't get something done in the next few weeks, there's a real possibility they could look to trade him during the season, especially if the team isn't performing well. They'd rather get something back than have him walk away in free agency next year with nothing. So, the big game against the Atlanta Falcons is set for Sunday, September 13th at 1pm Eastern. It'll be interesting to see if Joey Porter Jr. is out there under the lights for that one, given everything that's going on with his health and his contract situation.