Steelers rookie corner Joey Porter Jr. had no shame going after a veteran in the league. A veteran on a hated AFC North rival team, that is.
After the Steelers narrowly beat the Ravens in Week 5, Porter revealed what he said to Baltimore wideout Odell Beckham Jr.
In the 17-10 win, Porter picked off Lamar Jackson's end zone pass intended for Beckham late in the fourth quarter.
That change of momentum arguably provided the boost the Steelers needed to close out the game, and Porter said of his clutch interception, "I already knew it was coming." He also referred to Beckham as an "old ass" when he said, "I strapped his old ass, I told him."
Steelers rookie Joey Porter Jr. disrespects Ravens wideout OBJ
Had the tables been turned and Beckham had scored the game-tying score on Porter, no doubt the ex-Giants wideout would have reached into his bag for his own creative insult.
In truth, Porter went for the low-hanging fruit in calling Beckham, age 30, an "old" player. Beckham admittedly had one of his less impressive games last week and recorded just two catches for 13 yards against the Steelers.
One could see how Beckham's age and injury history has hurt his consistency on the field as he has already missed time this year due to nagging health concerns. Having undergone two major knee injuries in his career, Beckham may unfortunately continue to struggle to stay healthy for the rest of the 2023 season.
At the same time, Beckham, who helped the Rams win the Super Bowl two seasons ago, carries a great deal of experience playing and delivering in big-time games -- something Porter is gradually learning on his own timeline. Week 5's win -- and Porter's game-changing pick -- was at least a good start.
