Steelers' DC Teryl Austin says 'jury is still out' on Joey Porter Jr.

All anybody wants to know about Joey Porter Jr. is whether or not he will be starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers come week one.  And while he's shown signs and reasons to believe he should, there is one area of his game that still needs some polishing.  Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin just told us what […]

Rob Gregson — NFL News Writer
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All anybody wants to know about Joey Porter Jr. is whether or not he will be starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers come week one. 

And while he's shown signs and reasons to believe he should, there is one area of his game that still needs some polishing. 

Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin just told us what that is, and what it means for Porter Jr.'s projection as a starter:

"I'll Never Say It's Fixed"

"I think the biggest place he's grown the most is just the technique of an NFL DB," said Austin on where he's seen the most growth from Porter Jr. "But that's like every college guy coming in. That's the biggest area you have to grow because if you don't, you're going to get a ton of penalties and you're going to struggle. And he had one last week. And, you know, really was kind of a minor thing but everything else he did was pretty good. So, it's working that way and I think that's probably the biggest area is just the technique part of it; probably night and day from what he's used to be."

And while Porter Jr. may have taken steps to ensure he can be trusted not to cost the defense yards, Teryl Austin needs to see more before he can be confident in Porter's ability to start:

"No, it's just going well," Austin said when asked if Porter Jr.'s struggles were fixed. "I'll never say it's fixed. It's just going well. When we get into regular-season games, real games, and once he shows us as an NFL player that it’s not apart of his game, then I'll say okay, you know what, that's not part of this game. Until then, the jury's out."

And while the jury is still out on whether or not Porter Jr. is capable of playing within the confines of NFL rules, that statement may have cemented his status as a backup when it comes to week one. 

Levi Wallace has been terrific this preseason and is more technically sound, with the experience card on his side. 

Now how long he can hold off the young thoroughbred is the question that we will soon have answered. 

Featured image via: © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

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