Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. only allowed a 55% completion rate in 47 games (4th-lowest among NFL corners since 2023). Considering his on-field performance, why the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a reliable perimeter defender and franchise cornerstone away to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 6th-round pick and a 2028 2nd-round pick early in the 2026 season is difficult to explain.

The reason for this shake-up, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, was a contract stalemate. It appears that the negotiation imploded when it was revealed that the Steelers were willing to offer a contract with minimal guarantees beyond the first year. The latest development around the Steelers has now ignited criticism from local sports talk radio personality Mark Madden.

“Contract details are being leaked for Joey Porter Jr. Rappaport says the offer made by the Steelers the average annual value was $28,000,000 per, but it wasn’t guaranteed after the first year. And that’s where Porter balked, and I don’t blame Porter. They broke that policy for TJ Washed. They broke that policy for ‘DK do nothing’, clang, clang, clang. They should have done it for Peezy, somebody who’s more important to the Steelers than either Watt or DK. Well, if he would have stayed, he was. The whole thing with all the lying, it is just so cringey. The Steelers are a Xerox of a Xerox of a Xerox. The logo means nothing anymore, the Rooney name means nothing anymore.”

There is no doubt that an AAV of $28 million sounds massive. But Rapoport revealed the proposal included only around $42 million guaranteed at signing. Because the Steelers were unwilling to offer guarantees into the second year of the deal, negotiations stalled, leaving Porter to assume all long-term physical risk.

Pittsburgh notoriously avoids second-year guarantees as they did with Joey Porter Jr., yet bent those rules when handing pass rusher T.J. Watt a three-year, $123 million extension with $108 million fully guaranteed.

While Madden vented by labeling him “TJ Washed,” the 2021 NFL DPOY has started 2026 red-hot, piling up 4.5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, and an interception through Week 4.

The Steelers also gave wideout DK Metcalf a four-year, $132 million contract with $60 million guaranteed at signing, including second-year guarantees after trading for him from Seattle, despite his on-field inconsistency. 

Joey Porter Jr. felt disrespected by the organization for not showing the same loyalty, which caused the team to lose their young corner. Madden strongly believes that Omar Khan and Art Rooney II made the wrong decision in favor of “tradition.”

Additionally, there was a lot of speculation regarding why the Steelers listed Joey Porter on the IR with a back issue from Weeks 1-3 of the 2026 season. It turns out that the absence was tied directly to the contract dispute. Porter later confirmed to reporters that sitting out the first three games was his own decision during the contract stalemate.

Nevertheless, both Porter and the Steelers have now moved on, with a trade that shipped the cornerback to Dallas. In the long run, this deal benefits both sides since it gives Porter a chance to prove himself on a new team and negotiate a bigger contract in 2027.

After feeling snubbed in Pittsburgh, Porter is eager to show that he deserves top CB money with real security.

Now, it will be interesting to see how the Steelers’ defense fares this season without one of the league’s best young corners. Porter did not allow a single TD in coverage since Week 8 of the 2023 season, two years ago, so the impact that his departure will have on their defense is immeasurable.