Steelers Now
CHICAGO — As the Chicago Bears marched down the field and Colston Loveland hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. exited the game and entered the blue medical tent on the sideline.
After Loveland reeled in his score, Porter emerged from the tent and took a seat on the bench. Porter returned to the contest despite a leg injury. A hip injury tagged him as questionable to return in the third quarter.
Darius Slay replaced Porter, a third-year coverman, and joined James Pierre in the secondary. Pierre got the start over Slay, who’d missed last week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a concussion, in part because Pierre impressed against Ja’Marr Chase.
“Yeah, he steps back in and plays,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said of Slay on Tuesday. “We’re certainly going to continue to play James. He’s deserving of that, but if healthy, Slay is going to play.”
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin added on Thursday that the team would take a wait-and-see approach with who manned the boundaries. Porter missed time earlier this season with a hamstring injury he suffered against the New York Jets in Week 1.
The Steelers’ secondary has had a hard time staying healthy. Safety DeShon Elliott is currently on the injured reserved with a badly hyperextended knee.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. Leaves Game Again vs. Bears with Injury
