Joey Porter Jr. sounds off on George Pickens' viral catch against him

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens might have made the best play in NFL training camp this year. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of his new teammate, rookie defensive back Joey Porter Jr.

In a clip that went viral, Pickens made a ridiculous catch with Porter draped all over him. It was one of the most impossible plays we’ve seen out of training camp, getting Steelers fans hyped about the potential of the wide receiver.

But what did Porter think about the play?

“I was more shocked than anything,” Porter said, per NFL.com. “Because I turned around for the ball, and I’m like ‘Where did he go? Where did the ball go?'”

George Pickens is DIFFERENT pic.twitter.com/l32zmIyaFQ

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) August 1, 2023

Porter was probably frustrated in the moment. However, there wasn’t much else he could do. The defensive back played the route perfectly, especially as a youngster learning the ropes. Pickens just made an incredibly catch.

In the NFL, that’s going to happen every now and then. It seems Porter already understands that aspect of this level.

“I feel like it brings us all together, because at the end of the day we’re all competitive, we all want to compete,” Porter said. “Like Coach said, there’s a winner and a loser. And I always want to end up on the winning side.”

George Pickens believes he’s the best WR in the NFL

If he can regularly make plays like that, Pickens will quickly emerge as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. But the former Georgia star already believes he’s the best in the league.

Entering his second season, Pickens says he’s already the top receiver in the NFL.

“The stuff that I do, bro, I feel like I’m the best in the whole world,” Pickens told The Ringer’s Kevin Clark. “I’m big, I’m fast, low 4.4 [speed]. Catch radius is crazy. So every time I get out on the field, I do kind of play angry because I should get the ball on every play if you just look at the size and the frame.

“If I was a coach, I’d just throw to him every time. But that’s not how the NFL works. So every time I’m out there, that’s why I throw the blocks. I love getting the ball, and when I’m not getting the ball, I play angry so the attention is back on me. I basically draw attention to myself.”

As a rookie for the Steelers in 2022, Pickens hauled in 52 receptions for 801 yards and four touchdowns. While those are solid numbers for a first-year player, Pittsburgh will probably want even more production this fall.

Especially if he’s capable of making plays like the one he did against Porter.