Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. reportedly unlikely to play Sunday amid back injury, contract dispute

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is reportedly "unlikely" to play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday as he deals with a back injury, according to multiple reports . Porter entered the weekend questionable with the injury.

Porter missed essentially all of training camp due to the issue. While Porter was activated from the physically unable to perform list Sept. 1 and has practiced, Steelers coach Mike McCarthy classifed Porter's work as a "ramp-up" after the cornerback missed so much time.

Despite getting in work during practice, Porter is not expected to go in Week 1. The injury, however, might not have anything to do with his situation. Porter has been seeking a new contract all summer, and talks have not resulted in a deal just yet.

Porter spoke openly about the issue the day he was activated, saying he wasn't sure if he would play in Week 1 if his contract situation was unresolved.

A week later, New England Patriots ' star cornerback Christian Gonzalez agreed to a massive four-year, $135 million extension with the team. That contract was expected to set the market for Porter, giving him a baseline for his next deal.

Despite that figure being out there, the Steelers and Porter still haven't agreed to a new contract.

While the Steelers have yet to confirm Porter's status for their Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons, the team dropped a significant hint Saturday that Porter would not play, elevating cornerback Doneiko Slaughter from the practice squad to the active roster .

It's unclear where Porter and the Steelers go from here. The team is reportedly open to trading the star cornerback, but is hoping to receive a first-round pick in a deal, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. That cost has scared off potential trade partners, and no serious trade discussions have taken place just yet.

Porter has established himself as a strong player after being selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While he has yet to make the Pro Bowl in his first three NFL seasons, he's graded out well in Pro Football Focus' metrics.

The Steelers will undoubtedly miss Porter against the Falcons on Sunday. But unless the team's defense drastically falls apart without Porter, both sides could be looking at an extended absence for the time being.