Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is entering Week 3 without having an extension signed. A lot of drama has happened over the course of the last few months, amid what has long been pointed out by pundits as an unofficial hold-in. However, things could turn messier if Porter doesn’t play in the upcoming game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
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“Joey Porter Jr. could be in danger of breach of contract if he doesn’t play Sunday. Per our @937theFan Steelers insider Jeff Hathhorn,” Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan wrote on X. “The Steelers no longer list him as injured. And a CBS report said he’s been cleared by the Steelers [to] play. Porter could be placed on a reserve list.
“In that scenario he would not get paid. This is getting uglier by the day.”
Porter was on the PUP list not long after general manager Omar Khan named two players on it to begin training camp. At that time, it was reported he had a back injury, but the suspicion never died down. Porter came off the list the day Pittsburgh announced its 53-man roster. Had he been on the list following that day, he would have to sit out the first four games.
But the situation still hasn’t seen a break; Porter is still without a contract, and there is no update on whether he will play in the Week 3 game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers, per norm, do not discuss contracts with players once the season begins. However, the lack of clarity on Porter’s situation has everyone puzzled. The cornerback hasn’t given much to the media about his thoughts on the situation, and he mysteriously left practice recently with his trainer. Head coach Mike McCarthy said that Porter’s back injury had flared up.
With Porter being cleared, and the Steelers not putting him on Injured Reserve for now, there is no reason he shouldn’t play. There’s money to be earned for this season, after all.
Porter is in the final year of his four-year, $9.6 million contract. Reportedly, he is seeking an extension worth $30 million at least. We know via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac that he wasn’t impressed by a $27 million offer the Steelers made him, as he has rejected it. It would have made him the seventh highest-paid cornerback in the league.
The Steelers have expressed in the past that Porter is a valued player. However, their position has become complicated by cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez resetting the market. Both cornerbacks will now earn more than $30 million per season.
Wanting a similar contract will be bold for Porter, as he doesn’t have as many accolades as his counterparts. But he has enough production to warrant an extension.
The Steelers seem to be backed up against a wall here.
The Steelers can fine Joey Porter Jr., but not without a risk
Failure to comply with the contract can push Pittsburgh to take a harsher stance and potentially fine Porter. However, it can end up backfiring on them, according to former quarterback and NFLPA rep Charlie Batch.
“This could potentially be a union issue only because, if the Steelers try to go after his money if he cannot play,” Batch said on 102.5 WDVE’s Morning Show with Randy Baumann. “Meaning fining him for conduct detrimental, they’re gonna lean back on the original designation tag to say, ‘Wait a minute, you designated him with a back.’ And if that’s the case, that means they’re gonna claim somebody lied and it wasn’t the player.”
This puts the team in a complex scenario; backing off on their original statement is not something the Steelers would want, as many reports already deem Porter’s injury as “fake,” and that he is performing a hold-in.
Trade talks surrounding Joey Porter Jr. are still alive. CBS Sports’ Tracy Woolfson has confirmed that Pittsburgh aren’t “actively shopping him and have not received any calls regarding him either.” But it looks like the cornerback could be headed out of the team after this season eventually.
Whether that happens with Porter playing a snap for the Steelers this year is the bigger question.
All in all, this can only become more complicated for the player and the franchise, with Porter’s future with the team hanging by a thread. The Steelers will play the Bengals on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.