The mysterious absence of Joey Porter from Steelers practices the past week was not cleared up yesterday, even though a team spokesman revealed that the Pro Bowl linebacker will have arthroscopic knee surgery today.

Coach Bill Cowher continued to decline comment on why Porter has not attended any of the voluntary spring practices, and spokesman Dave Lockett said the impending knee surgery was not necessarily the reason.

Lockett said he did not know if the surgery would take place on Porter's left knee, which underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage early last August. Left unsaid also is why the surgery will take place now, nearly four months after the Super Bowl and two months before the start of training camp or if a new injury was only recently discovered.

Sources tell the Post-Gazette that Porter is unhappy with his contract, which has two years left at $3.85 million and $5 million annually.

Porter showed up yesterday morning at the Steelers' UPMC training facility. He lifted weights and attended meetings, but he left the complex as his teammates took the practice field. Some of them could not clear up the secrecy surrounding Porter's absence.

"If you want to know that, you have to ask him," said James Harrison, who has replaced Porter at right outside linebacker during his absence.

"Joey's a team leader," linebacker Clark Haggans said, "and everybody knows what kind of guy he is -- very passionate about playing the game of football. Whatever his circumstances are, he's not trying to be selfish, he just wants to do what he has to do, get it over with and just move on and play football and look forward to defending the title."

Jeff Sperbeck, Porter's agent, could not be reached for comment yesterday. A day earlier, he declined to comment whether Porter would attend any of the spring workouts or training camp. The Steelers will hold spring workouts through June 8 and have off until training camp starts July 28.

"The Steelers are aware of Joey's situation," Sperbeck said Monday.

It's also possible there is some dispute between Porter and the team about his knee surgery or that somehow the decision to have surgery is related to a stalemate over his contract status.

"Whatever's going on with him, you know, I say my prayers for him and whatever happens, happens," Haggans said. "I mean, I'm not too sure what's going on. He doesn't fill me in. I try to just stay out of it because that's what he has to deal with and he has to take care of himself and his family."

Haggans talked briefly with Porter in the team weight room yesterday, the first time he said he had seen him since minicamp May 13-15, which Porter attended.

"He was busy last week. He had to take care of some things," Haggans said. "I figured that's why he wasn't here.

"I didn't run up to him like I was his mom or something like 'where you been? You missed curfew' or something like that," Haggans said, laughing. "He's a grown man, and whatever he's got to get done he's got to get done. I didn't touch too far into what he had to do."

Neither, apparently, have other teammates.

"I don't know if he's hurt or injured or whatnot," Hines Ward said. "I don't know what his reasons for not being here. It's not my say-so. I know what Joey's going to give me. To be honest with you, I don't have a clue why he's not here. He was here today. I saw him. I don't know if he's hurt or whatnot, but he's here."

Linebacker Larry Foote does not believe Porter's absence is a big deal.

"I know a lot of older guys missed days, some people missed days for stuff," Foote said of the spring workouts. "It's voluntary."

NOTES -- Ward will meet with President Bush and Korean diplomats at the White House today to discuss plans for his Helping Hands Foundation that he will establish to aid people of mixed race in South Korea.

"I don't really know what to expect, to be honest with you," Ward said. "They wanted to meet me and try to figure out a way to help raise money for the foundation and to go over there to help biracial kids."

Ward, his mother, his family and others will travel to Seoul tomorrow to establish his foundation.