Steelers CB Shares Message to Joey Porter Jr.

The Pittsburgh Steelers veteran shared his message to Joey Porter Jr. during the bye week.

Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) reacts after an interception against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Dallas won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As the Pittsburgh Steelers see the rest of their bye week through, Donte Jackson shared a resounding message with Joey Porter Jr. as the cornerback room looks to sustain its strong level of play.

Speaking with reporters, Jackson acknowledged that while he and Porter Jr. have both profiled as stalwarts within a ferocious Steelers defense up to this point in the season, there's still plenty of work left to be done.

"We didn't play a lot of ball, [but] we played a lot of good ball," Jackson said. "Top of the league in a lot of categories. But that means nothing; we've just got to keep on working. Because nobody will care what we did before the bye week if we don't come out this bye week with our head on right, ready to detail our work.

That's really been the message for both of us. Me being an older guy, that's been the message to him, just to keep growing, keep coming in every day willing to work and to keep getting better. The best thing about this league, you always have new opportunities to grow, new opportunities to get better. That's really gonna be the model."

In their first season together as a starting tandem, both Porter Jr. and Jackson have enjoyed their moments of brilliance.

As Pittsburgh's No. 1 corner in his sophomore campaign, Porter Jr. has helped keep the likes of Drake London, CeeDee Lamb and Malik Nabers in check while showcasing the potential to be a true shutdown player, allowing just 20 receptions on the year while starting all eight of the team's games.

Jackson, who came over in an offseason trade from the Carolina Panthers for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, has been right there every step of the way as well. The 28-year-old has gathered three interceptions and given up 22 catches this season, none of which have gone for a touchdown according to Pro Football Focus.

The Steelers' defense ranks among the best in the NFL, giving up the second-fewest points (14.9) and ninth-fewest total yards (310.3) per game.

As Jackson stated, however, those numbers don't mean anything if he, Porter Jr. and the rest of the team don't return from the bye with the same vigor and mindset that they carried throughout the first half of the year.

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