The Pittsburgh Steelers had the early Week 5 bye to prepare to host the Cleveland Browns, who are traveling back from an international game in London. That already puts Mike Tomlin's team at an advantage. Now we learned that Pittsburgh is getting a key starter back in Week 6.
On Monday, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Joey Porter Jr. said he will return to the field this week against the Browns. Porter, the Steelers' starting right cornerback, has been out with a hamstring injury since Week 1.
Though Porter struggled with penalties and consistency in his second NFL season in 2024, the former 32nd overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft was slated to be a huge piece of the equation on Pittsburgh's defense this year.
Fittipaldo also notes that, in addition to Porter's return, starting edge rusher Alex Highsmith is aiming to make a Week 6 comeback to the field on Sunday. However, his status is still up in the air.
The Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the return of CB Joey Porter Jr. against the Cleveland Browns
You won't find oddsmakers shifting the game line further in the Pittsburgh Steelers' favor just because a starting cornerback is returning to the field. Still, there's reason to be optimistic that Porter can help the defense improve in Week 6.
The return of Porter comes in the nick of time, as Jalen Ramsey is dealing with a hamstring injury of his own that occurred during the team's Week 4 win over the Vikings. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac labeled the injury as a 'pretty good hamstring tear' when speaking on 102.5 WDVE's Morning Show with Randy Baumann.
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The Steelers also have hope that Porter can continue to develop into a lockdown cornerback. While we know he's probably never going to take the ball away frequently. Porter's impressive combination of size, length, physicality, and demeanor could allow him to take the opposing team's top target out of the game.
The Browns sit on a 1-4 record and have not been impressive this season. However, Cleveland still has a tough defense. Because of this, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' offense might not be able to put up many points in this contest. It will be up to the defense to hold the Browns in check offensively, and Porter can help.
Divisional games are always tough, and this has the makings of an AFC North slugfest. If the Pittsburgh Steelers can have the better defense in this contest, they could cruise to their fourth victory of the season.