Joey Porter says he'll play for Steelers in '26 but when TBD - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Speaking for the first time since he and the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to reach an agreement on an extension by the organization's regular-season deadline, Joey Porter Jr. said he is «definitely» going to play this season, but the exact date of his return to the field is still up in the air.

Following Thursday's practice, the cornerback responded, «yeah, definitely» each time when asked if he expected to play at some point and if he would play despite not getting a contract extension.

But when asked if he expected to play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Porter was noncommittal. «I think it's the same like how it's always been, just keep ramping up, keep doing what I can do and just be there for my teammates,» Porter said of his expectations.

Amid contentious contract negotiations and a prolonged «ramp up» period, Porter was inactive for the first two games of the season. He was spotted on the sideline for the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons at home, and he traveled with the team to New England in Week 2.

Porter refuted reports Thursday that he requested a trade or sought a second opinion on his back injury, one that dates back to the first day of training camp.

Porter was placed on the physically unable to perform list on training camp report day after aggravating his back during a mobility workout. He was activated to the 53-man roster Aug. 30, but he hasn't yet been a full participant in practice.

At times, Porter's injury description on the practice report has listed a back injury, while others have included only «Not Injury related- conditioning.» A week ago, Porter was limited in Wednesday's practice with a designation of «Not Injury Related- conditioning.» The next day, however,