After getting a lowball offer of $25 million per year, the Pittsburgh Steelers star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. reportedly remains in “hold-in” with the team. Just two weeks before the season, Porter revealed that he didn’t know if he would play in Week 1 without a new contract. And he didn’t.
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Porter Jr. missed the Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons because his lingering back injury flared up during the team’s mobility conditioning test on opening day of training camp. However, the team has now officially cleared him medically and placed him in NIR/Conditioning (Non-Injury Related). That’s why head coach Mike McCarthy is positive about Joey Porter Jr.’s return.
“Joey had a good day yesterday. He did everything that he was scheduled to do, so hopefully we can make some progress today. So that’s our outlook for Joey,” Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday.
Porter left Thursday’s practice session early due to an apparent medical ailment. In the session, he took part in the first team drill. He completed the team’s warm-up stretch and participated in a single loose-ball drill, diving/falling onto the football. After that, he went to the sidelines and eventually left the field accompanied by the team trainer.
Amid developments about his injury, NFL analysts believe Porter still seeks a contract extension. But the Steelers do not negotiate contracts once the season begins. And McCarthy is focusing on the football side of things.
“Every situation for every player in my career has been different, so we’ll see how it goes. But I was very pleased with the amount of work Joey was able to get done yesterday. Yeah, he’s scheduled to go more than he did yesterday,” McCarthy added.
Based on the timeline, the Steelers’ front office reportedly waited until two weeks before the season opener to get serious about a new deal. When the number finally came in, it landed nowhere near where the cornerback market has moved ($30 million per year, according to ESPN).
Porter is in the last season of his four-year rookie contract worth $9.6 million. Reports also suggest that the CB could be “traded out” as both parties failed to land on common ground. McCarthy had addressed Porter’s contract extension after the win in Week 1, saying, “The business part of it, that’s not for me to speak on.”
The 26-year-old cornerback hasn’t spoken publicly about his absence from the Week 1 game. As of now, the Steelers are preparing for their Week 2 game against the New England Patriots to keep progressing with their 1-0 record.