Entering their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Atlanta Falcons have been dealing with their fair share of injury drama. Both Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa are inactive and Cooper Rush is dealing with back spasms, so the quarterback position has been a major concern.
It's felt like the Falcons are the only side of this matchup that is dealing with some major losses on the injury front. The Steelers have been having their fair share of issues with star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. this summer, and ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed earlier this morning that he would be inactive.
Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr., who has been embroiled in a contract dispute all summer, is unlikely to play Sunday against the Falcons because of a back injury, per @RapSheet and me, and the possibility of a trade remains in play. pic.twitter.com/Iin8JJMzw3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2026
Porter Jr. won't play due to a back injury, but this story doesn't end there. He and the Steelers have been embroiled in a contract dispute all summer to the point that his future with the team is up in the air-- and Schefter made it sound like he could be traded at some point in the next couple of weeks.
The Falcons are facing a Steelers defense missing one of its best players
For a Falcons team that needs any glimmer of hope they can get to pull off an unprecedented upset at Acrisure Stadium, this matters. They've never won on the road in Pittsburgh, and Porter's injury at least helps to tip the scales a bit more evenly--and Kevin Stefanski's debut still does feel winnable.
With the 26-year-old. sidelined, Jamel Dean will step in as the CB1 and spend most of the afternoon shadowing Drake London. That's a much more favorable matchup for Atlanta given they're plenty familiar with Dean after he spent the first seven seasons of his career with the rival Buccaneers.
While it remains to be seen how much the Dirty Birds will air it out with Rush starting, but anything that helps to get one of their best offensive playmakers the football is an asset. Besides, any minor update that could make the life of their starter a little bit easier could matter in a game that's not expected to be particularly high-scoring.
Joey Porter Jr. isn't as impactful on this Steelers defense as someone like Cam Heyward or T.J. Watt, but it would be wrong to understate his status as their CB1.He was one of the better corners in football last season, and the drama around him presents Atlanta's new $141 million man a golden opportunity.
The Atlanta Falcons have the deck stacked against them today, but with players like Joey Porter Jr. out for their opponents, they'll always have a chance to pull off the upset--even with the QB issues.
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