Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — It wasn’t in the traditional way, but it shows up in the box score nonetheless. During the Indianapolis Colts’ initial possession of the second half, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. tracked Daniel Jones and bumped him out of bounds, earning his first career sack.
It was the Steelers’ second sack in a row, after Alex Highsmith pulled down Jones on first-and-10.
Porter’s father, Joey Porter, played for the Steelers from 1999-2006. He was honored at halftime along with other members of the Steelers team that won Super Bowl XL.
The elder Porter recorded 60 of his 98 career sacks in black and gold, including 10.5 in both 2000 and 2005. He ranks seventh on the Steelers’ all-time leaderboard, behind T.J. Watt (112 entering Sunday), Cam Heyward (90), James Harrison (80.5), L.C. Greenwood (78), Joe Greene (77.5) and Jason Gildon (77).
Porter returned to Pittsburgh to coach the Steelers’ outside linebackers from 2014-18.
The Steelers selected the younger Porter with the No. 32 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Including the matchup with the Colts, he’s started 32 games since.
As of late in the third quarter, the Steelers’ defense had forced three turnovers.
Rookie edge rusher Jack Sawyer notched his first career interception later in the third quarter, which was batted into the air by inside linebacker Payton Wilson, who also had a pick earlier in the contest. Watt added a strip sack in the second frame.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Joey Porter Jr. Follows in Father’s Footsteps With Career First
