The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the offseason with a relatively strong roster. The one position that they were adamant about upgrading was at cornerback. With Cameron Sutton moving on in free agency, signing with the Detroit Lions, reinforcements were needed.
One of the players who the Steelers came away with in free agency was veteran Patrick Peterson. The former All-Pro had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2022 with the Minnesota Vikings as the lone bright spot in what was a struggling defensive unit.
Peterson will be tasked with leading Pittsburgh’s secondary this season while also being a mentor to the younger players on the depth chart. One player in particular that the Steelers are hoping he can help develop is Joey Porter Jr.
Porter, the son of former Steelers star linebacker Joey Porter, was the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. During an appearance on Inside Training Camp Live this week, Peterson spoke very highly of the work ethic that the rookie cornerback possesses.
“Joey is just a sponge. Joey loves the game. Joey wants to be a guy that’s recognized in this game,” Peterson told NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe and Brian Baldinger. “He’s asking me questions each and every day — you guys are gonna see today when we have downtime — he’s asking me how he can get better with his technique. Like I told him when we first got here: He’s the future. At some point, you’re going to be out there on the field and you’re going to have to take the bull by the horns. And not only take the bull by the horns, but be able to help the other guys come along as well.”
An eight-time Pro Bowler, Peterson is a great player for Porter to learn from. He has forgotten more about playing the cornerback position than most people will ever know about the position.
The mentorship role that is awaiting Peterson is one that he says he is ready for. He wants to see the younger generation find success as much as he did and is willing to do whatever Porter needs to achieve that.
“No doubt about it and that’s the Steeler way,” he said of mentoring Porter Jr. “For me, being the people person that I am, I just fell right into it. I want to see the next generation be successful, I want to see the guy behind me become better as well because you never know when we might need him.”
Porter and Peterson both have ties to the Steelers organization that should set them up for success in 2023. Mike Tomlin is someone that Peterson has always wanted to play for and Pittsburgh’s secondary coach, Grady Brown, was Peterson’s coach at LSU.
