The Detroit Lions are leading the pack in trade conversations for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but they have some competition for his services from within their very own division.
The NFC North is not known for its defense in 2026, or at least not through Week 1 or the entirety of the preseason leading up to it. However, the team with the best chance of fielding an above-average unit on that side of the football is the Minnesota Vikings.
It is somewhat ironic then that Easton Butler of Packer Report wrote on Monday night, September 14 that the Vikings are among Detroit’s top competition in the Porter sweepstakes.
“Asking Price is Two 1s. Lions front runners, Commanders after that,” Butler wrote. “Vikings in the mix too, alongside another NFC East team.”
Porter did not play Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, the stated issue being a back injury. However, his friction with the Steelers over a new deal as the former second-round pick heads into a contract year could also have played a significant role in that outcome.
The CB was non-committal late in the offseason when reporters asked him if he would play for Pittsburgh in 2026 without a new agreement. Spotrac projects Porter’s market value at $70.3 million over a new three-year deal, or approximately $23.4 million annually.
Lions Have Already Made Overtures to Steelers Regarding Joey Porter Jr. Trade
The Lions have reached out to Pittsburgh with interest in Porter, per Jeff Risdon of “The Detroit Lions Podcast.”
“I can tell you that I know that the Lions have approached the Steelers,” Risdon reported Monday. “I don’t know how receptive the Steelers were, I don’t know what the Lions offered — if anything. [But] I know that they have talked. I got that from a reliable source from the Pittsburgh side. Will anything happen? I don’t know.”
According to Butler, the market for Porter is strong, which could mean the Steelers look to strike while the iron is hot.
The most relevant question is how much trade capital will the Lions actually have to surrender for the 26 year old who is seeking huge money and might be willing to sit out several games if Pittsburgh doesn’t either pay him or send him elsewhere?
Lions’ Depleted Secondary Struggled Mightily Against Tyler Shough, Saints in Week 1
Two first-round picks is too much for Porter, though the Lions are in a situation where they might have to consider a deal for a single first-round asset.
Detroit parted ways with former first-round pick Terrion Arnold ahead of his third year in the NFL after a Florida court charged the CB with four felony counts of armed robbery and four felony counts of kidnapping earlier this summer.
The Lions will also be without starting safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph for at least the next three contests, and potentially longer, as both began the season on IR.
Meanwhile, New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough hung 410 passing yards on the Detroit defense in Week 1. The Lions were able to eke out a one-point victory in overtime, but the secondary is a critical concern and one the team must deal with immediately.
Porter is excellent in man coverage and would be a strong fit in the Lions’ defensive scheme. The division is also potentially there for the taking in 2026, and Detroit still believes its Super Bowl window of the past three years remains open.
But for how long?
Lions ‘Frontrunners’ in Trade Talks for Projected $70.3 Million CB: Report