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Joey Porter should never have been on the field during Bengals vs Steelers Wild Card game

There was no reason for Joey Porter to be on the field on Saturday night and this case is closed.

Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

There are still many Steelers fans making arguments for why Steelers outside linebackers coach Joey Porter was on the field during the Bengals vs Steelers Wild Card game after Antonio Brown's fourth quarter injury. Porter prompted a personal foul from Bengals cornerback Adam Jones, who says Porter was cursing at him and trying to get a response out of the Bengals.

Moments prior, Vontaze Burfict tackled Antonio Brown on a hit the referees deemed illegal. Burfict received a personal foul, too, totalling 30 yards of penalties being applied to the next play and the combination effectively ended the game, handing the Steelers the win.

If you think the Steelers were concerned with their coach getting into a situation he shouldn't have been in, they weren't. They even gave him the game ball on Saturday.

There is no valid reason for why Porter was on the field. Have a listen to Hall of Famer and former Broncos and Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe's take on the situation.

As Sharpe says, the only non-players who should have been allowed on the field to attend to Antonio Brown were team medical staff and head coach Mike Tomlin. Sharpe adds that in his 14 years playing in the NFL, while suffering a fractured collarbone, fractured eye socket and a concussion, his position coach nor offensive coordinator ever came on the field when he was injured, let alone a different position coach.

Here is the official NFL rule regarding who is allowed on the field after an injury to a player:

Either or both team attendants and their helpers may enter the field to attend their team during a team timeout by either team. No other non-player may come on the field without the Referee's permission, unless he is an incoming substitute (5-2-2).

During any team timeout, all playing rules continue in force. Representatives of either team are prohibited from entering the field unless they are incoming substitutes, or team attendants or trainers entering to provide for the welfare of a player, and any game-type activities are prohibited on the Field of Play.

This case is closed.