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Joey Porter Jr. getting drafted to the Pittsburgh Steelers felt almost too good to be true. His father spent most of his legendary career with the Steelers, helping them win a Super Bowl. Now, the younger Porter is looking to build his own legacy with the team. He\u2019s stumbled a few times during his three NFL seasons, but he looked like he was putting the pieces together last year. While Porter didn\u2019t receive any accolades for his work in 2025, he\u2019s confident those honors will come to him in due time.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo Pro Bowl, no All-Pro, nothing,\u201d Porter said recently on the Blueprint Podcast. \u201cThat\u2019s so crazy\u2026 It\u2019s a media thing. But I know I\u2019m on the trajectory now. They\u2019re gonna have to throw me one. If not this upcoming year, if I do what I\u2019m supposed to do, when I do what I\u2019m supposed to do, it\u2019s inevitable. I\u2019m about to get that thing, both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Porter finished last season with one interception, 14 pass defenses, one sack and 52 tackles. While those numbers might not pop, he was still great in coverage, not allowing a touchdown and cutting down on his penalty issues. The Steelers\u2019 defense had issues, but Porter looked like he turned a corner.<\/p>\n
The 2025 All-Pro corner list is a good one, but Porter might\u2019ve had a case to be on it. Derek Stingley Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell made First team, while Patrick Surtain II and Devon Witherspoon made Second team. They all had good seasons, but none of them were head and shoulders above Porter. Some of them might\u2019ve been better recognized because their defenses were better than the Steelers\u2019 unit, too.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s still a solid group, though. Porter not being an All-Pro wasn\u2019t egregious. Him not making the Pro Bowl is a little worse, though. The AFC\u2019s representatives at that position included Stingley, Surtain, Denzel Ward and Kamari Lassiter. Christian Gonzalez also made the Pro Bowl, but he couldn\u2019t attend because he played in the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a real argument that Porter should\u2019ve had Gonzalez\u2019s spot in the first place. The two played in the same number of games, but Gonzalez had fewer interceptions and pass defenses. However, he was on one of the league\u2019s best teams, which likely helped him receive votes. The Pro Bowl isn\u2019t the same honor that it once was.<\/p>\n
Still, it\u2019s an important accolade for players, especially when they\u2019re looking for new contracts. Porter is entering the final year of his deal, and that Pro Bowl nod could\u2019ve helped him earn more money.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s not letting that negatively impact him, though. Porter is certain he\u2019ll get that recognition eventually. If he doesn\u2019t sign a contract extension this offseason, a big 2026 season would be huge for him. It would give him a lot more negotiation power against the Steelers. We\u2019ll see if he can manifest his words into existence.<\/p>\n