Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is sticking to the narrative of a reported back injury for Joey Porter Jr. following Week 1, claiming that the star cornerback is still in a “ramp-up” phase as a stalemate over his lucrative contract and trade rumors continue.

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There is widespread speculation that Porter may actually be staging a silent holdout due to contract demands, especially after he reportedly left the locker room early on Sunday while appearing healthy. Despite this, McCarthy remains publicly optimistic about resolving. In a recent media address, Gerry Dulac reported on X that McCarthy stated, “I would expect him to play” once his ramp-up period concludes. He added that he “hopes to do more” with Porter when practice resumes on Wednesday.

While McCarthy claims that communication with Porter is positive and anticipates the star defender's return once he is fully cleared, the situation is more complicated behind the scenes. ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently confirmed on The Pat McAfee Show that the Steelers are open to trade inquiries. However, high asking prices have limited external interest as both sides struggle to close a significant financial gap.