Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson Share the Same Mindset: ‘I Like His Chirpiness’

Chris Ward |

Updated: Jul 26, 2024

UNITY TWP., Pa. — After practice on Thursday, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. raved about veteran corner Donte Jackson, who was acquired by the Steelers in the Diontae Johnson trade with the Carolina Panthers back in March.

Jackson, a second-round pick out of LSU by the Panthers in 2018, is a player that Porter looked up to growing up. Last year, Jackson played his first healthy season since the 2020 season after he suffered season ending injuries in back-to-back seasons. In 16 starts for the Panthers in 2023, Jackson combined for 59 tackles, and five passes defended.

“Going good,” Porter said when asked about his chemistry with Jackson. “You know, that’s my dog. I was always a big fan of him so the fact that I’m on the same side of the ball as him, playing with him, is a dream come true on my part. I just try to learn from him every day as much as possible.”

Porter believes he and Jackson could form an elite duo at cornerback. They also share a similar mindset.

“I just liked his game play,” Porter added. “I like his chirpiness; you know he goes after people. That’s what I kind of do, too. So we kind of got the same similarities like that. I just liked his game overall.”

Porter plays with a ton of swagger and tenacity. He’s just like his dad, former Steelers outside linebacker Joey Porter Sr.

Jackson is thrilled to be a Steeler. He believes his personality is a perfect fit for the organization and looks forward to bringing a lot of swagger, as well.

“I’m just coming in blessed to have the opportunity to share the field with so many great players and getting in where I fit in,” Jackson said. “I never had a problem being a dog. I never had a problem playing football at a tough, high level. This is a just a great place for me to go out here and flourish and continue my career. This is a place I could see myself playing for a long time.”

With Porter expected to shadow and play press against opposing team’s top receivers again in 2024, Jackson’s role is going to be more of an off-ball, coverage cornerback. This is a role Jackson is open to playing as he noted Porter’s confidence is something unmatched and that he is excited to see what the second-year player does alongside him in 2024.

“Especially with a young guy, you love that confidence,” Jackson said about Porter at the team’s OTAs. “Joey spent a lot of the season last year following guys, matching up with guys and he did a really good job. Just to know that he is coming into this season with that confidence, it only gets [me] excited to see what he is going to do for us.”

John Kosko of Pro Football Focus recently ranked Porter as the third-most physical cornerback in the NFL in 2023. Only A.J. Terrell of the Atlanta Falcons and Michael Davis of the Washington Commanders were deemed more physical.

“Porter brings physicality to the Steelers’ secondary and has proven to be one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL. When he made contact with a receiver in 2023, he allowed just a 45.3 passer rating and a 38.2% completion percentage,” Kosko wrote.

Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Unity Twp.