Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter will be on the sidelines Sunday for his team’s playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs after he had his charges stemming from an altercation outside a bar reduced.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. decided on Thursday to drop the most serious charges against Porter, which included aggravated assault. Porter is now charged with only disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, both summary charges in Pennsylvania. Summary charges are the most minor in the state.
In a statement released through the team Friday morning, Porter confirmed he will coach in the divisional round this weekend and apologized for his actions.
“I am grateful to be allowed to return to our coaching staff this weekend,” Porter said, via Chris Adamski of TribLive.com. “I regret that I was involved in an incident that could have been a distraction to our team. Most importantly, I regret that I touched the police officer and I sincerely apologize for that action. Thankfully, no one was injured.”
Had Porter been charged with felony aggravated assault, the maximum sentence would be 10 years in prison. The former Steelers linebacker was placed on leave earlier in the week but reinstated after the felony charges were dropped.
“We will await the outcome of the legal process and communicate further with the NFL regarding the Personal Conduct Policy before making any further decisions on potential discipline,” team president Art Rooney II said in a statement.
Porter was accused of wrestling with a doorman and an off-duty police officer at a bar in Pittsburgh. You can read more details about the incident here.
