The Pittsburgh Steelers have a history of sticking to their traditions, which means they don't usually change their ways as quickly as the rest of the NFL. For instance, the NFL changed their jersey policy back before the 2021 season which allowed skill position players to wear single-digit numbers. Pittsburgh still hasn't allowed any of their skill players to wear single digits, until Patrick Queen signed with the team during the 2024 offseason. Queen wore the number six while he was with the Baltimore Ravens, and he was allowed to keep that number in Pittsburgh.
Now that the NFL has changed the uniform policy, rookies that come into the league oftentimes want to wear a single-digit number. Roman Wilson wanted to wear the number one with the Steelers, but the team doesn't give that number out anymore due to it being the number legendary kicker Gary Anderson wore. Even if the number wasn't sacred, the team wouldn't have given Wilson a single-digit number, it isn't the Steelers way. Another young player had an experience like this in Joey Porter Jr., who was on a recent episode of The Arthur Moats Experience With Deke where he was asked how he wound up with the number 24.
"Basically I came in, I was like, 'I'm trying to get a single-digit first,' I know I wasn't gonna get nine because that was my number at college, but [Chris] Boswell had nine. So I was like, I'm not getting that. So the next option was five or eight. That was my two favorite numbers coming out. But Coach T [Mike Tomlin] was like, 'Yeah we don't, we don't do single-digits anymore. That's not our thing, that's not a Steelers thing,' so then they gave me the number options and I was like, 'Okay, I'll definitely go with and rock the 24.'"
The number 24 is a good number for a cornerback. It was the number Darelle Revis wore, and it was also the number of former Steelers cornerback, Ike Taylor. Porter and Taylor are close due to Porter's father playing with the Steelers during the 2000s, so it made sense for Porter to pick 24 going into his rookie year.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gave Joey Porter Jr. A Chance To Switch His Jersey Number
Porter is probably happy with having the number 24, and he has played well in it so far in his career. He has looked like one of the best, young cornerbacks in the league and he continues to improve. While discussing how he wound up with the number 24, Porter was asked about Queen getting to keep the number six when he arrived in Pittsburgh. Obviously, this made Porter a bit frustrated.
"I was pissed, I was mad. I texted Coach Tomlin immediately. I was like, 'So what's going on?' He was like, 'Give me an All-Pro season, then we can talk about it.'"
The young cornerback now has a clear goal if he wants to be able to rock a single-digit number in the future. Queen was an All-Pro during his last season in Baltimore in 2023, so he gets the right to wear a single-digit number. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has now said if Porter can hit that mark soon, he will be able to switch.
Porter has all the makings of an All-Pro, and even his teammates know that. Safety DeShon Elliott has only been with the Steelers for three games and he has already compared the second-year player to perennial All-Pro Jalen Ramsey. Even if Porter does earn an All-Pro bid, he isn't sure he will part ways with 24.
"I don't know, 24 has been good to me lately, and it's just a good tradition. Uncle Ike [Taylor] had it, he was a lockdown corner. Now, I get to rock the number. 24 fits right now."
Taylor never quite made it to All-Pro status, but he was one of the more underrated cornerbacks of his time. He was an important contributor to two Super Bowl-winning teams, and now Porter gets a chance to carry on that legacy. Porter will probably be an All-Pro at some point, but it seems as though he is happy with the number 24 for now.
