On a night that couldn’t have gone any worse for the Steelers, one player managed to stand out. Joey Porter Jr. has had a spectacular season, and he ended his campaign with a dominant performance against the Texans. Matching up with Nico Collins for most of the night, he completely neutralized him and played impeccable coverage. Had the Steelers won, Porter would’ve gotten a lot more recognition for his performance, but this wouldn’t be the first time Porter’s play has gone under the radar. It’s been happening all season.
Joey Porter Jr.’s Dominant Season
Joey Porter Jr. is a polarizing player for many. He’s had a reputation as an aggressive, physical corner who can occasionally get a little too handsy, resulting in holding and pass-interference penalties. However, Porter has done more than enough to clean that habit up in the 2025 season. Entering week 16, Porter had only surrendered 56 yards in penalties and didn’t commit another penalty for the rest of the season. On top of that, Joey Porter has been absolutely lockdown in coverage this year.
Often being asked to travel with the opposing team’s number one receiver, Porter has not given up a touchdown since week 8 of the 2023 season. That’s at or near 1500 snaps since Porter last gave up a score. On top of being matched up with the opponent’s primary target, he’s often asked to be in complete isolation against them, with little to no safety help. Any way you slice it, Joey Porter is an elite cornerback in the NFL right now. He’s given up fewer touchdowns and penalty yards than Patrick Surtain II has, who is considered the best of the best right now. He travels with number one receivers, and plays as tight of man coverage as anyone in the NFL.
Joey Porter Jr. vs Nico Collins
As for his performance last night, Joey Porter Jr. was magnificent. He matched up almost exclusively against Nico Collins and completely shut him down. Collins finished the game with just three catches for 21 yards before leaving the game early due to a concussion. The key to Porter’s success was in his physicality. He rarely allowed for Collins to get clean releases off the line of scrimmage and used proper technique to shadow Collins. This play in particular demonstrates his fluidity and feel for the game. By having his hand on Collins’ hip, he can feel where the route is going before it develops. This allows for him to stay aggressive and play the ball while remaining disciplined.
Joey Porter gave up just 26 yards on three completions all game. He allowed a passer rating of only 53.3 as well. Unfortunately for Porter, the rest of the Steelers secondary struggled mightily. Christian Kirk had a career day against slot corner Brandin Echols, finishing with 144 receiving yards. The Texans also finished with over 400 total yards on offense, with 164 of them coming on the ground. There was little Joey Porter Jr. could do about this.
The future of many in the Steelers organization is up in the air. There’s an eerie, unnerving vibe coming from the front office and the fandom about the future of Steelers football. However, last night showed one thing unmistakably. Joey Porter Jr. is the shutdown corner the Steelers have been searching for. He is an all-pro caliber player and one of the guys that this defense should be built around in the years to come.
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