Joey Porter Jr. shut down just about every top receiver the league threw his way two years ago in his rookie season. The only receiver that got the best of him was DK Metcalf, and through a twist of fate, the two are now teammates on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Porter may never get another shot to redeem his rookie-season showing in an actual game, but he will get plenty of reps against him in practice.
It sounds like nothing has changed with how challenging it is to cover Metcalf.
“Freak of nature,” Porter said via The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo on X. “There’s not a lot of guys that look like him that can run like him. So it’s definitely something different every time you go against him.”
Through the first three unpadded practices, the two of them are trading blows. There was at least one rep today in seven shots when Porter broke up a pass intended for Metcalf in the end zone. And another rep when Aaron Rodgers hit Metcalf on a slant for a touchdown.
Defense making plays vs Aaron Rodgers this team period. Queen and DeShon Elliott with breakups. Long heave to Metcalf covered well by Porter and incomplete. #Steelers
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) July 26, 2025
Porter is about as long as a corner gets in the NFL at 6024, 193 pounds, with 34-inch arms. But he is still dwarfed by Metcalf at 6033, 228 pounds with a noticeably thicker build. And despite the size advantage, Metcalf ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash when he entered the league. It’s almost unfair to have that blend of size and athleticism.
When Porter matched up against Metcalf in Week 17 of 2023, he shadowed him on 81.3 percent of his routes and allowed three receptions for 86 yards. It wasn’t a back-breaking performance, and the Steelers won the game, but it was the most he allowed that season. Now, he gets all the reps he could possibly want to figure him out.
It’s just like the famous line from Dodgeball: “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.”
In this case: If you can cover a Metcalf, you can cover… well, just about anybody.