The Pittsburgh Steelers already have plenty of reasons to be excited about defensive back Joey Porter Jr. after just the first 15 games of his NFL career. However, he’s had one big issue so far.
Porter has been called for 12 penalties, tied for fourth most in the league with offensive tackle Luke Goedeke of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has some advice for Porter that he thinks could help the rookie avoid some of those flags. He said it was time for the rookie to change gloves.
During the December 26 episode of his “Footbahlin” podcast, Roethlisberger praised the physical way that Porter plays but said, “But he should put the same-colored gloves on as the opposing jersey. He wore those bright yellow gloves, and it just sticks out like a sore thumb.” Roethlisberger suggested that changing gloves would make it more difficult for the officials to detect violations such as defensive holding, for which Porter has been flagged three times this season. He’s also been called for defensive pass interference four times, offsides and face mask two times each and illegal use of hands.
Porter’s two most recent flags led to scoring opportunities for opponents. In the Steelers’ 30-13 loss against the Indianapolis Colts on December 16, he was called for a 26-yard pass interference that moved the Colts to the Steelers’ 40-yard line with 35 seconds left in the first half. The Colts went on to score a touchdown on that drive to take the lead, which they would never relinquish. In a 34-11 win over Cincinnati Bengals on Christmas Eve, Porter was flagged for holding on a third-and-4 late in the third quarter. The Bengals went on to kick a field goal.Porter said he recognized the issue but, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, was unwilling to change his style of play.
