Joey Porter Jr. is running out of time, but the biggest decision surrounding his future in Pittsburgh is still unsettled.

The Steelers have spent the offseason trying to find common ground with their young cornerback, while the NFL’s cornerback market has continued to climb. Now, with Pittsburgh’s long-standing deadline for contract negotiations arriving before Week 1, the gap between the two sides remains. That is where Cam Heyward’s message to Porter becomes important.

“I just told him it’s a process. He has to understand things are done differently here. Keep your head up, stay involved and stay ready because the worst thing is to not be ready. You have to show people you deserve the contract you get,” Heyward told reporters Wednesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I’d like for everybody to get paid, and I’d like for everybody to be taken care of… guys have to get their business done. It’s part of the game. You don’t run from that.”

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Sept. 8–9 that Pittsburgh had finally made a multiyear offer to Porter’s camp. But the offer did not bring the sides close. “The Steelers have made an offer. It is not good enough for this one to be deemed close,” Garafolo reported. No exact terms of the offer, including its years, annual value or guarantees, have been reported by a reputable source.

The timing matters because the Steelers do not negotiate contracts once the regular season begins. Omar Khan reaffirmed that policy in 2026, with the deadline coming before Pittsburgh’s Sept. 13 opener against the Atlanta Falcons. “Our policy is going to remain in place… Joey knows how we feel about him, and I still hope Joey finishes his career here.”

That approach has produced several last-minute deals in Pittsburgh. T.J. Watt agreed to his extension shortly before the 2021 opener, Pat Freiermuth signed before the 2024 opener and Heyward himself reached a revised deal around the 2025 opener. The current situation therefore fits a familiar Steelers pattern: negotiations can run right up against the deadline before a deal gets done.

Porter has another reason to believe his value has risen. The 26-year-old cornerback has put together three productive seasons, recording 165 tackles, three interceptions and 31 passes defensed. He allowed no touchdowns in 2024 or 2025, and his 2025 season included a 57.2 passer rating and 5.0 yards allowed per target. He has also not allowed a touchdown when targeted since Week 8 of his rookie season.

The market around him has changed, too. Christian Gonzalez signed a four-year, $135 million extension on Sept. 8, worth $33.75 million per year with $102 million guaranteed. Devon Witherspoon is at $33 million annually, while Trent McDuffie is at $31 million and Derek Stingley Jr. is around $30 million. Gonzalez currently sits at the top of the cornerback market.

Earlier in the offseason, reports placed Porter’s camp around the $30 million-per-year range, while Pittsburgh’s valuation was reported closer to $20 million. Jeremy Fowler later floated a possible Porter target of around $29–30 million. The exact figure Porter wants, however, remains unconfirmed.

Pittsburgh also has a fallback option. The projected 2027 franchise tag for cornerbacks is around $23.1 million, according to Over The Cap and other projections. That would give the Steelers another way to retain Porter without immediately matching the $30 million-plus annual salaries now reaching the top of the position. But the tag is a one-year mechanism, not a direct substitute for the security of a long-term deal.

Heyward has made clear where he stands on that system. “Stupid,” he said when discussing the franchise tag. “It hampers players. Why should any team be able to take advantage of a player for one year? It’s used in negotiations, and I think between the player options, the franchise tags, the way they control rookies, I think it’s kind of backwards… If a player is at the top of his position, he should be paid that way.”

For Porter, though, the immediate task is simpler. He missed all of training camp after being placed on the active/PUP list with a back injury and returned to practice only recently. He was still limited on the first injury report before Week 1, while Mike McCarthy remained hopeful about his availability.

Porter also remains the last key contributor from Pittsburgh’s 2023 draft class without a long-term extension after the Steelers extended Keeanu Benton, Darnell Washington and Nick Herbig. The market says Porter has a case. Pittsburgh’s deadline and projected tag give the team leverage. With both sides still apart, Heyward’s advice may be the clearest message of all: stay ready, let the football speak and make sure the next opportunity does not pass by.