McCarthy stays vague as Steelers sit Joey Porter Jr. amid back rehab, contract limbo

PITTSBURGH — Mike McCarthy is pretty much over talking about Joey Porter Jr.'s back and his contract situation.

Until one or the other is resolved — having both go away seems unlikely in the short term — the Pittsburgh Steelers coach might have to.

While McCarthy's debut for his hometown team was largely successful against injury-ravaged Atlanta, Porter's uncertain status and the attention it is getting could end McCarthy's honeymoon period sooner rather than later.

The club opted to make Porter inactive on Sunday, a decision that McCarthy called his and his alone, as the fourth-year pro continues to recover from a back injury that forced him to miss a big chunk of training camp, all of it set against the backdrop of stalled contract negotiations that seem destined to drag into next offseason.

The Steelers had little trouble without one of the league's top defensive backs against third-string Atlanta quarterback Cooper Rush, though the challenge will ramp up considerably over the next two weeks against New England and Cincinnati.

McCarthy remained vague on when Porter might be ready, though he said he hopes Porter will be able to take another step forward when the team returns to practice on Wednesday.

While everyone from general manager Omar Khan to longtime defensive tackle Cam Heyward believes Porter will be in Pittsburgh for the bulk of his career, the optics around his on-field absence feel strange.

McCarthy has repeatedly described the nature of Porter's work since being activated off the physically unable to perform list two weeks ago as a “ramp-up” period. He also said he was “impressed” while watching Porter up close for a couple of reps last Thursday. He just didn't see enough, it seems, to feel Porter was one of the 48 best players available.

Trying to distinguish perception from reality is tricky.

Porter's teammates have said to a man they believe it's time for him to get paid. And when asked about it in the locker room after keeping the Falcons winless all time in Pittsburgh, several of them were unsure whether his absence was because of his back or his lack of a long-term deal.

Even McCarthy allowed he's not sure how the uncertainty might affect Porter whenever he is cleared.

“When you have to deal with business during the season ... it’s not easy,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s an individual situation that every individual handles differently.”

How Porter and his coach handle it could play a factor when the glow from McCarthy's feel-good homecoming will fade.

What's working

Paying edge rushers an avalanche of money. The Steelers have more than $67 million in cap space tied up in T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. It certainly looks like money well spent after the trio frequently created chaos in the Atlanta backfield. If they can stay healthy — all three missed multiple games last season because of injury — then Pittsburgh will have a chance to remain competitive in a division that includes what looks like two of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in Cincinnati and Baltimore.

What needs help

The rebuilt offensive line did little to create running lanes for Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. Pittsburgh ran for just 58 yards against a largely anonymous Falcons front seven, though Warren managed to rip off a handful of clock-chewing plays during the Steelers’ final drive. While quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t really joking when he said afterward he hopes Pittsburgh keeps throwing it, a little balance could go a long way to opening things up downfield in the passing game.

Stock up

At some point, defenders will learn to stop trying to go high to tackle mountainous 6-foot-7 tight end Darnell Washington. Until that happens, expect more highlight plays such as the one Washington delivered late in the fourth quarter when he threw Falcons safety Xavier Watts — 7 inches shorter and easily 80 pounds lighter — to the ground with a stiff-arm during a 15-yard catch-and-run that helped seal the game.

Honorable mention goes to the historically brutal Acrisure Stadium turf. The field has been resodded this year, and the early returns have been promising, with things holding up just fine the day after a rain storm during the college game between Pitt and UCF.

Stock down

DK Metcalf considers himself one of the best wide receivers in the league, and his $132 million contract pays him like one. His quest to put an underwhelming — by his standards — 2025 behind him didn't get off to a great start. He dropped a couple of passes and was flagged twice for offensive pass interference. The 6-4, 225-pound Metcalf is a physical marvel and plays with tremendous effort, but that effort needs to turn into production for Pittsburgh to become the offense McCarthy envisions.

Injuries

The Steelers emerged from Week 1 practically unscathed, a welcome development for one of the older teams in the league, particularly on defense.

Key number

2 — the number of players since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to have 100-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions in their career: Watt and Hall of Famer Julius Peppers.

Next steps

Head to New England to try to do what they did on the road last September: pull off an upset against Drake Maye and the Patriots.