Steelers rookie just received a gift he probably wishes he could return
Expectations come with the territory when you're a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Player, coach, rookie, veteran… it doesn't matter. There is a standard to be met. And while pressure can create diamonds, it can also burst pipes, with one Steelers rookie seemingly being overwhelmed with presumptions: Too Much Pressure on Joey Porter Jr.? The […]
Expectations come with the territory when you're a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Player, coach, rookie, veteran… it doesn't matter. There is a standard to be met.
And while pressure can create diamonds, it can also burst pipes, with one Steelers rookie seemingly being overwhelmed with presumptions:
Too Much Pressure on Joey Porter Jr.?
The first pick of the second round, Joey Porter Jr. was a mixed bag of emotions on draft weekend. Seemingly happy that he was selected by the team that his father won a championship with, yet distraught by the fact that he fell out of the first round.
But Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports doesn't care that Porter Jr. wasn't the first choice for many around the league when it came to corner, naming Porter to his 2023 preseason All-Rookie Team, as a first-teamer nonetheless.
And maybe that's the kind of pressure that Porter Jr. wants. I'm sure he believes he's the best corner in his draft class and is more than ready to prove the doubters wrong. But as Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said in regards to Porter back in minicamp, "When he's ready, we'll know he's ready."
That's because Porter has a ways to go when it comes to the process of things on the field. The NFL is like a splash of cold water at 2:00 am for a vast majority of rookies, no matter how good they were in college, or how prepared they seem to be.
So maybe we should just pump the brakes on the expectations of Porter. I, as much as anyone wants to see a feel-good story turn into a national headline thanks to Porter's play on the field.
And Pittsburgh believes he can, evident by their usage of valuable draft capital on him. But between the innate pressure of being the son of an arguable future Hall of Famer, and then team and media expectations, that can be a lot to chew on for a rookie.
But hopefully, Porter Jr lives up to it all, embraces the expectations, and shows why he is worthy of the gesture.
For Trapasso's full preseason All-Rookie team, click here.
Steelers Training Camp Battle: Cornerback
Nothing worthwhile comes easy in the NFL
Featured image via: © Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
