Browns handed positive development before Thursday Night Football from the hands of the Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without one of their best players in Week 4 when they play the Cleveland Browns on Thursday in primetime.
The Cleveland Browns received some bad news ahead of Thursday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers with starting center Elgton Jenkins ruled out due to a concussion.
Jenkins was unable to clear concussion protocol in time after suffering the injury in the Week 3 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The Steelers, however, will also be without a key starter in Week 4, and that entire ordeal took a wild swing overnight.
Joey Porter Jr.’s saga ends in Pittsburgh
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was set to miss Thursday night’s game, and the circumstances surrounding his absence raised eyebrows. After being listed as an estimated full participant on Tuesday’s injury report, Porter showed up as a limited participant Wednesday due to a back injury that flared up. By the end of Wednesday night, the Steelers had traded Porter to the Dallas Cowboys.
The backdrop to all of this is a contract dispute. Porter wanted a new deal from the Steelers, who haven’t been willing to make the fourth-year cornerback one of the highest-paid players at the position in the NFL. Porter has been a solid cover corner for Pittsburgh, but his ball production has been limited with just three interceptions through three seasons. That lack of takeaway production is notable for a player seeking top-tier cornerback money.
Still, there’s no denying Porter’s talent. He’s a 6-foot-2 cover corner who has played well against the Browns in the past. His absence is a clear win for Cleveland’s offense to not have to deal with heading into Thursday’s matchup.
For a player like rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston, not having to line up against Porter is significant. Boston will instead face a secondary that features Asante Samuel Jr. and Jamel Dean as the starting corners with Porter out. Neither of those players is the defender Porter is, and the Browns should be able to get receivers open in this one.
Additionally, cornerback-turned-safety Jalen Ramsey is listed as questionable to play against the Browns. If Ramsey sits, that would be another real loss for the Steelers’ defense heading into a divisional game on the road.
Even though Porter didn’t play this season, his absence is a loss for a Pittsburgh. For the Browns, they’ll be just happy to not have to line up against Porter Thursday night in Cleveland, or going forward at all in AFC North play.
