Joey Porter Jr. has been locked in stalled contract extension talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers all through the offseason. The clock is ticking for the franchise, now that Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon have reset the cornerback market. What becomes of Porter’s future is unknown, but we might have a valuation of the star player.
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“The Steelers have been open to listening to offers for Porter, sources said,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported. “But there has not been notable interest at Pittsburgh’s asking price of a premium draft pick, possibly in the first round, and no serious trade talks have developed despite the Steelers’ willingness to deal him.”
The idea of a trade “remains in play.” It is understandable, as Porter has done enough to warrant a good salary, and Pittsburgh went big on contracts for Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt, and Nick Harbig. At the moment, the Steelers might not be keen on meeting Porter’s offers. Reportedly, he is seeking more than $30 million per year.
Gonzalez and Witherspoon both enter that range this year onwards.
Porter’s record more than justifies his demand. The cornerback played 47 games across his three years with the Steelers, starting 41 of them. He recorded a total of 164 tackles (120 solo), 31 passes defended, three interceptions, and three tackles for loss. During his rookie year, he also made the PFWA All-Rookie team and won the Joe Greene Great Performance Award.
Reportedly, the Steelers offered him a contract that would give him between $26 million and $27 million a year, but Porter’s camp rejected it. Per SteelerNation’s Nick Antenucci, the lack of the desired guaranteed money and the number not being in the $30 million range are possible reasons why the deal could not work out.
Why the negotiations have hit a roadblock is still not known, as Porter has said previously that he need not be paid like Witherspoon or the Rams’ Trent McDuffie. The Steeler cornerback is in the final year of his rookie contract.
It looks like Porter has unofficially begun a holdout. He was put on the Physically Unable to Perform list in training camp, reportedly left the locker room during a practice session, and was inactive for the Week 1 clash against the Atlanta Falcons.
Porter remains a valuable player for Pittsburgh, but if another team matches his and the Steelers’ demands, he could perhaps see a better future.
Joey Porter Jr. might have a shot with these two teams
In the September 16 episode of Steelers Talk, Rapoport commented on Porter’s on-field coverage and explained how he could be the answer to the Kansas City Chiefs’ CB concerns, especially since rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane injured his already-troubled shoulder during the opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday.
Rapoport further pointed out that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive style and blitz packages often rely heavily on coverage behind the line of scrimmage.
However, while the Chiefs could realistically fit Porter into their roster with an available cap space of $4.5 million for the 2026 season, it would still be a tight fit, considering Porter is expecting an extension rivaling those of the highest-paid CBs in the league.
Kansas City already restructured quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ contract earlier this year to give them more breathing room. However, they also have just one first-round draft pick for the 2027 NFL Draft, but perhaps for Porter, general manager Brett Veach might bite the bullet.
“Brett Veach will make a trade,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He’ll be risky, he’ll make a trade.”
Then there’s the Detroit Lions.
“The Lions lost Terrion Arnold; that would be another one I would keep an eye on,” Rapoport said. “We don’t know which team is gonna lose a corner or have a significant injury, and so definitely something to keep watching.”
Like the Chiefs, the Lions also hold just one Round 1 pick for the 2027 Draft. But where they win out over the Chiefs is their massive $38 million available cap space, a result of the front office converting part of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell’s base salaries into signing bonuses.
In the end, it comes down to Lions general manager Brad Holmes. The GM has a history of building through drafts and rewarding homegrown core players, rather than paying high prices for free agents.
But with at least two teams on the board, the Steelers trading Joey Porter Jr. seems to be a possibility that cannot be overlooked.