​Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 13, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers NowNBA legend Charles Barkley had some choice words for former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. during an appearance on BetMGM GameDay. Barkley believes Porter quit on the Steelers. “Well, you can’t ever quit on your team,” Barkley said. “I know we all want trades. We all have contract situations, but your obligation is to the players in that locker room. Listen, the fans are great. The owners, they are what they are, they’re businessmen. But you never quit on your teammates.”Barkley also ripped Porter for claiming to have a back injury. Porter suited up for the Cowboys on Sunday, so the injury he’s supposedly been dealing with since the start of training camp must have miraculously healed. “Obviously, something was going on,” Barkley said. “Between Pittsburgh and Dallas, he got really dang healthy quickly, didn’t he? They must’ve been serving some good stuff on that airline. I truly believe — I’ve been in really bad situations before, my last three or four years in Philly, to be honest with you, were brutal. You get dressed with those guys. You’re on the plane with those guys. You’re on the buses and things. I would’ve handled it differently.”Lucky to have @_CharlesBarkley on BetMGM GameDay this morning.Needless to say, he wouldn’t have handled things the way Joey Porter, Jr. did. #NFL#Steelers#Cowboyspic.twitter.com/9DLxGq6L4P— Chris Mack (@THEChrisMack) October 4, 2026Porter’s Steelers teammates have been supportive of him, however. Patrick Queen told the Amazon Prime broadcast team that he was proud of Porter for standing his ground and not caving in during contract negotiations with the front office. Jalen Ramsey, who’s a close friend of Porter, has also been in his corner. Times have certainly changed since Barkley’s legendary NBA career. No one on the Steelers has indicated that Porter leaving was a slap in the face to the team. At least not publicly. It’s been viewed as just a business decision. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. throws a football while not dressed for practice on July 29, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers NowThe Steelers were expecting Porter to play on Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns, but after two days without an issue, Porter said his back flared up. He was ruled out for the game. That’s when the Steelers had enough and shipped Porter to Dallas late Wednesday night in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder.Porter revealed in his introductory press conference with the Cowboys that he felt disrespected during the negotiation process with the Steelers.Porter, who’s in the final year of his rookie deal, was seeking a new contract with the Steelers. But the two sides could not iron out a deal.“Definitely, definitely. It was a hard process, a lot of ups and down. Defin