Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Names 3 WRs He Wants to Face

The Pittsburgh Steelers' top cornerback is looking forward to facing some of the NFL's top wide receivers.

Dec 23, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) reacts against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh won 34-11. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face some of the NFL's top wide receivers in 2024, but their No. 1 cornerback isn't backing down from the challenge.

Joey Porter Jr. joined Cameron Heyward's Not Just Football podcast alongside fellow corner Cory Trice on-site at Steelers training camp and named the three receivers who he is eagerly anticipating to face this season.

"That’s a tough question because we got some teams this year, and I low-key want all of them," Porter Jr. said. "To be honest, the most is probably CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, too, and [Ja’Marr] Chase. So yeah, we got a couple. I got a list. I got a list for sure."

The only player from that list who Porter Jr. faced in 2023 was Chase in a 16-10 Steelers win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 26. The rookie held Chase to two catches for 36 yards while shadowing him for 24 of his 28 routes on the day, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Chase averaged just 0.9 yards of target separation as well, and even though Jake Browning was playing in relief of an injured Joe Burrow, it was still an all-around impressive performance for Porter Jr. in one of his first career starts.

Porter Jr. will have the opportunity to face Chase two times a year for as long as they are division rivals, but Lamb and Brown offer up a rare test given that both players reside in the NFC East and thus are not common opponents of the Steelers.

Lamb has been a model of consistency since entering the league in 2020, finishing with more than 1,100 receiving yards and six touchdowns in each of his past three campaigns, but he ascended to the next level with his performance in 2023. He led the NFL in receptions with 135 and the NFC in yards with 1,749 while finishing second in the conference behind Mike Evans in receiving touchdowns with 12.

Lamb is in the midst of a contract dispute with the Dallas Cowboys as he's currently set to play on the fifth-year option. The expectation, however, is that he will eventually agree to an extension and suit up against the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium for Sunday Night Football in Week Five, which will be a must-watch battle between him and Porter Jr.

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Brown from the Tennessee Titans for picks No. 18 and No. 101 during the 2022 NFL Draft and immediately signed him to a four-year, $100 million extension. It became quite apparent that the team made out like bandits in that trade, as Brown broke a franchise record with 1,496 yards on 88 receptions and 11 touchdowns as Philadelphia steamrolled their way to a Super Bowl berth that season.

Brown came close to matching those totals in 2023, recording 106 catches and 1,456 yards with seven touchdowns. In two career games against Pittsburgh, Brown has put up 12 catches on 309 yards and four touchdowns. Porter Jr. was not on the roster for either contest, however, so perhaps the outcome will be different when he squares off against Brown in Philadelphia during Week 15.

Porter Jr. has a lot on his plate as he enters his sophomore season as the Steelers' bonafide top corner, but he proved at times last season that he can hang with the best the league has to offer. With another year of development in the system, it's fair to expect Porter Jr. to take another step up in 2024 against a stacked schedule.

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