The Pittsburgh Steelers gave a massive vote of confidence to 4th year linebacker Nick Herbig after rewarding him with a 4-year $100 million contract. While the team can celebrate by locking up one of its young stars long term, another one of its young players, Joey Porter Jr., is angling for a lucrative extension of his own.

The player is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is coming off a breakout year. While the team has already started negotiations with his agent, Porter Jr. made it clear that he wanted to be paid like an elite player in his position in a recent media interaction.

“I feel like I’ve been an elite guy since I’ve been in this league. And I’m happy that I’m getting the respect that I feel I’m owed.” Porter said to the assembled media when asked about his contract situation.

Porter’s comments proved to be timely as they came on the same day Herbig inked his lucrative extension. In OTAs, both players adopted an increasingly common practice amongst NFL players aiming for a new contract in recent years: the hold-in. This basically entails players showing up to practice, but they don’t engage in any of the physical drills. They instead just attend team and positional meetings.

Porter, however, is not just standing by. He’s taken up a leadership role as an established 4th-year veteran under an entirely new coaching staff.

“I just want to be around the guys as much as possible and help as much as I can right now,” Porter said. “The main reason why I’m still here is to keep teaching these young guys and just to show my face. And show that I’m in the building.”

With Mike McCarthy as the new head coach, a lot of changes are expected in the defensive structure. However, Porter Jr. is expected to be a pivotal part of the roster, as his ability to use his size to jam receivers can be instrumental in any system.

The team also has the likes of Keannu Benton and Darnell Washington, who are up for extension, but Porter Jr. is expected to get the priority after his stellar performances for the team last season.

Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy appeared to be comfortable with the approach Porter has taken regarding his availability during this time.

“There’s a personal side to this, and there’s a professional side to this,” McCarthy told reporters. “When you break down the professional aspects of being in the NFL as a coach or a player. We all have contracts. This is an important time in their lives. Their business decisions and business opportunities can change the course of their life and their family’s life. And I don’t take that for granted.”

Porter’s comments about him being an “elite” player, particularly, should stand out for the Steelers, as he probably wants to get paid like an elite cornerback, too. The highest-paid CB in the league right now is Rams corner Trent McDuffie at $31 million a year. The next two after him, Derek Stingley and Sauce Gardner, have also breached the $30 million mark on average per year. So in all likelihood, Porter and his agent will aim to land in that range.

Porter’s comments are one thing. But he’s backed that up with his play over the last couple of seasons. And that’s what should count for the Steelers as they enter a new era with McCarthy.

Porter Jr. Has Proven He Is Elite For A While Now

Porter is the Steelers’ top cornerback and the primary anchor of the Steelers’ secondary, along with Jalen Ramsey. He’s exuded confidence all the way back since his stellar rookie year.

“There are a lot of good DBs in this league,” Porter said. “Nobody was doing what I was doing, going against WR1s the entire year and locking (them) down. I don’t care if I am mentioned (among the top cornerbacks) or not. Because they are going to hear my name eventually.” Porter stated confidently after the conclusion of his rookie year back in 2023.

And he’s backed his play up since then. Through three seasons, Porter has recorded 165 tackles, 31 passes defended, three interceptions, and one sack. Perhaps the most incredible stat of his career is that in three seasons in the league, Porter has only given up one touchdown, which came in his very first NFL start.

Porter has yet to earn an official Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod from the league. But it’s looking more like a matter of when and not if. You could also make the case he’s already well-deserved of it. Despite not getting the nod from the NFL, Porter Jr. was selected on Pro Football Network’s 2025 NFL All-Pro Team.

“Holding down the perimeter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Joey Porter Jr. led all cornerbacks with a stellar 95.3 CB Impact score,” Jacob Infante of PFSN wrote. “He allowed a passer rating of just 56.2 in coverage. He deflected 11 passes and allowed completions on fewer than half of his targeted passes.”

With his combination of stellar play, young age, and leadership qualities that he has so abundantly shown during this ongoing OTAs, Porter Jr looks like he’s going to be next in line after Herbig for a lucrative long-term extension. While Porter Jr.’s contract does give the Steelers front office another situation to resolve, they will be happy to know that they have enough quality pieces on their roster, who they can lock down for a few more years.