Joey Porter Jr. will not play Week 1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team released its inactives ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, and the third-year cornerback’s name was on the list. But the bigger story is what comes next: there is a real chance Porter never suits up for Pittsburgh again.

Early Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and Jeremy Fowler all reported that it was highly unlikely Porter would play, despite local reporters in Pittsburgh indicating he is healthy enough to take the field. That tracks with what we saw at practice all week. Porter was barely participating, going through what appeared to be a ramp-up stage rather than full preparation for a game.

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Porter has officially requested a trade

What might have surprised those who believed a deal between Porter and the Steelers was still possible was Schefter’s reporting that Porter has officially requested a trade. Not only that, but all options remain on the table. The Steelers are willing to move him if they receive the proper draft compensation in return.

So the question becomes: how did we get here?

What you have seen this offseason is a slow erosion of optimism. Porter held out of training camp (technically was placed on PUP), then came back and gave everyone a reason to believe things were trending in the right direction. He participated in practice, at least to a degree, before dialing it back. Then we arrived at game day, and he not only chose not to play but did so with a trade request now attached to his name.

The writing was on the wall

The truth is, the longer this situation dragged on, the less likely a resolution in Pittsburgh’s favor seemed. We covered it earlier this week when Fowler reported that the Steelers hadn’t even offered Porter a contract. The more details like that started to leak out, the more pessimistic the outlook became.

If an injury happens around the league Sunday, there’s a chance Porter is gone as soon as Monday or Tuesday, shipped to a team willing to offer a first-round pick. That seems to be the threshold Pittsburgh has set for parting ways with one of its best defensive players.

A sad state of affairs in Pittsburgh

It’s a tough pill to swallow for Steelers fans. Porter entered the league as a promising cornerback, developed into a legitimate playmaker in the secondary, and now finds himself on the verge of being dealt before his prime years even begin.

Pittsburgh has to weigh the long-term cost of keeping a player who doesn’t want to be there against the draft capital it could receive in return. The bottom line is that the Steelers appear ready to move on if the price is right, and Porter appears ready to move on regardless.

This is where things stand as the 2025 season kicks off. We will continue to update you as the situation develops between Joey Porter Jr. and the Steelers.