Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Contract Dispute Lead to Joey Porter Jr. Being Traded?
The Steelers' contract dispute with star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. could lead to him being traded.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are open to moving Porter after failing to reach agreement on an extension.
Porter was inactive for Sunday's 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, with Asante Samuel Jr. replacing him in the starting lineup. Pittsburgh does not negotiate contracts during the season, and the sides reportedly remain far apart.
Teams that are possible fits for Porter include the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
This offseason, top cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (Los Angeles Rams), Denzel Ward (Cleveland Browns), Devon Witherspoon (Seattle Seahawks) and Christian Gonzalez (New England Patriots) all signed deals worth reportedly more than $30 million per year. Porter, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, is reportedly looking for a contract in that range.
Without Porter on Sunday, Pittsburgh surrendered just one touchdown and won its first game under new Head Coach Mike McCarthy.
Atlanta started former Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush (12-for-22, 143 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. out with injuries. T.J. Watt had a pick-six early in the fourth quarter to give the Steelers a 20-10 lead that they protected down the stretch.
The Steelers visit the Patriots (0-1) in Week 2.
Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken Loses Opener As Quarterback Concerns Continue
The Browns' offense continued to struggle during a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Head Coach Todd Monken's regular-season debut.
Deshaun Watson threw an interception on the first series and Jacksonville led 24-0 by halftime. Watson finished completing 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards and one touchdown with the one interception. However, 126 of those yards came in the fourth quarter when the Jaguars led by over three possessions.
On Monday, Monken told reporters he anticipated Watson would start again Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Monken said after Sunday's game that he would not panic after one game.
"I'm sure as hell not firing me," Monken said via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. "I'm not firing our staff. I'm not getting rid of all of our players. So he happens to be one of 53, and however many practice squad guys we got and our staff, he's one of them. So we'll evaluate everything."
Through two quarters, the Browns had only five first downs on six drives and were 0-for-4 on third down. Cleveland was flagged for six accepted penalties on offense, including two delay of game infractions.
"We got to put points on the board," Watson said. "Playing the quarterback position, you're the leader in that role. And we didn't do that today."
Cincinnati Bengals: New Defense Seeks More Consistency After Opening Win
The Bengals' new-look defense was opportunistic in Week 1 with four takeaways, including a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
That was enough to lead Cincinnati to a 33-27 victory over Tampa Bay, and the defensive effort was needed. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (25-of-35, 254 yards, one touchdown, one interception) threw a pick-six, and Ja'Marr Chase (two catches, 12 yards) was held in check.
Four veterans signed to Cincinnati's defense during free agency had strong debuts. Defensive end Boye Mafe had a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Safety Bryan Cook forced and recovered a fumble. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen had a sack, and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence had a quarterback hit and made it difficult for the Buccaneers to run inside. Bucky Irving was Tampa Bay's leading rusher with just 45 yards on eight carries.
However, Bengals starting inside linebacker Barrett Carter believes Cincinnati's defense will reach another level moving forward.
"We haven't answered any questions," Carter said via Pro Football Talk. "Like I said, this is what we expected. The Bengals are 1-0, we had four turnovers — that's great — but we should have won by much more.
"I don't mean that against the Buccaneers, but we need to dominate teams, so there's a lot more plays to be made. This defensive team, we have not done anything. We have not even scratched the surface. There's a lot more plays to be made."
The Bengals visit the Houston Texans (0-1) in Week 2.
