Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joe Porter Jr. refuses to budge on signing a contract with the team as tensions run high. All of it comes down to a small quirk in the contract from draft night. Back in 2023, the Steelers used the 32nd overall pick, acquired from Chicago in the Chase Claypool trade, to draft Joey Porter Jr. But because the Miami Dolphins had forfeited their 1st-round pick that year for tampering, Porter was officially classified as the 1st pick of the 2nd round.
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Joey Porter Jr. entered the NFL without a 5th-year option on his contract, so 2026 becomes a contract year for the corner. Currently, he is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list with back tightness as he waits for the contract situation to be resolved ahead of the Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13.
When playing for the black and gold, Porter held opposing QBs to a poor 48.5% completion rate last season. He also carries the current longest active streak in the NFL without conceding a touchdown when targeted. Despite this, Porter heads into his final rookie contract year, earning just $3.924 million in base salary.
While Joey Porter Jr. didn’t say that he wants a market-resetting payday, the Pittsburgh front office knows the reality. Steelers on SI NFL Analyst and host of All Steelers Talk, Noah Strackbein, recently spoke on the matter, expressing how he thinks the situation will play out this offseason.
“I think they’re playing the game. So I think Joey wants the highest corner money, and there’s zero reason to come down from that right now, zero. Why would you? The Steelers are nowhere close to that. They hold the leverage. Anybody could say whatever they want about, you know, Joey holds the leverage; they don’t.
“The Steelers control Joey financially for the next two years minimum, unless he does not want to play in the NFL at all. At that point, he’ll be 28 years old; he’ll have one big contract in him. It makes no sense financially, none at all, for Joey to not sign a deal this offseason.”
What makes the standoff more interesting is CB Devon Witherspoon’s four-year, $132 million contract in Seattle, which has reset the CB market at $33 million annually. Joey Porter Jr. reportedly wants a similar valuation; however, the Steelers value him closer to $28 million. Despite the phenomenal lockdown coverage he offers, Joey Porter Jr. only has 3 INTs in as many NFL seasons.
“In this negotiation, the Pittsburgh Steelers just control way too much for Joey to play hardball longer than this offseason and sign a deal next year,” Noah Strackbein concluded.
Making matters more frustrating for Porter, his 2023 draft classmates have already secured lucrative extensions this summer. OLB Nick Herbig signed a $100 million deal, DL Keeanu Benton signed a $72 million deal, and TE Darnell Washington secured $42 million. Joey Porter Jr., who was drafted ahead of all three, now sits as the only one waiting on a contract extension.