Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.'s status remains uncertain after he left practice early on Thursday with a team trainer.

Porter was seen taking part in the team stretch during the portion of practice open to the media. He also participated in at least one ball-security drill before leaving after only a few individual-work reps. His practice designation also shifted, with Thursday's report listing a back injury after Wednesday had him marked as limited for non-injury-related conditioning.

The back issue has followed Porter since the opening day of training camp, keeping him on the PUP list throughout camp in Latrobe. He was medically cleared before practice on Wednesday, when he returned in a limited capacity. Head coach Mike McCarthy had said Porter was expected to increase his workload Thursday after doing more Wednesday than he had the previous week.

Porter did not play in Pittsburgh's Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons after McCarthy determined that the cornerback needed additional time to ramp up. McCarthy has also remained noncommittal about whether Porter will be available Sunday against the New England Patriots.

The uncertainty surrounding Porter has also coincided with contract negotiations. The Steelers and Porter did not reach an extension before the regular-season deadline, leaving the 2023 second-round selection set to play the final year of his rookie deal.

Pittsburgh players have continued to support Porter Jr., with linebacker Patrick Queen the latest to do so, saying he respects him regardless of whether his absence is injury- or contract-related.

“Joey, whatever he's going through, whether it's injury or contract, I respect it,” Queen said on Thursday. “I'm behind him 100%. I tell him every single time, ‘I respect how you go about your business every single day. I know you all see the stuff he does out there. I definitely respect him.”

“Joey, whether he’s going through, whether it’s injury or it’s contract stuff, I respect him 100%.”
—Steelers ILB Patrick Queen on Joey Porter Jr pic.twitter.com/7xPBcWHPKa

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 17, 2026

The Steelers can use the franchise tag to keep him from reaching free agency in 2027. Pittsburgh is also the NFL's only team with a policy against negotiating contracts during the season.

The Steelers defense limited the Falcons to 143 passing yards, with Asante Samuel Jr. and Jamel Dean handling the cornerback duties against backup quarterback Cooper Rush.