The Detroit Lions are hurting in their secondary after a string of injuries, leading insiders to speculate that they could make a run at Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to fill the void.
But it appears the hope of trading for the star cornerback could be fading.
Porter made a strong statement about his future with the Steelers, which could put to rest the trade rumors that have surrounded him for weeks amid a contract impasse with the team.
Joey Porter Jr. Will Play for the Steelers This Season
Though Porter missed the first two weeks of the season with a back injury, he told reporters on Thursday that he does plan to play this season. Porter also seemed to push aside speculation that he was disgruntled over the failure to reach an agreement on a contract extension.
“It didn’t get done,” Porter told reporters about the contract extension he was seeking. “It didn’t happen. That’s really just old news for me now. It’s mainly just focusing on what I have ahead of me and getting back to 100 percent.”
Porter added that he “definitely” sees himself playing this season, leading several teammates to voice their support during the locker room interview.
Lions Seen as Top Trade Destination
As trade rumors around Porter were starting to grow at the beginning of this season, the Lions were identified as a top potential landing spot. Detroit has been hit hard by injuries to their secondary, losing safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph to injuries before the season started and watching defensive back Avonte Maddox suffer a season-ending injury in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.
NFL reporter Jason La Canfora suggested that there was no “easy or imminent solution” to the contract impasse, as the Steelers have a policy not to negotiate contract extensions during the season.
The Steelers could grow tired of Porter’s distractions and entertain trade offers, La Canfora suggested.
“These aren’t your father’s Steelers, they aren’t wedding to old-school philosophies anymore and we get the strong suspicion that moving this talented player is reaching the ‘addition by subtraction’ stage of these types of standoffs,” La Canfora wrote.
CBS Sports analyst Bryan DeArdo suggested the Lions could take a few avenues to landing Porter, including a trade that would send a first-round draft pick to Pittsburgh. He suggested the Lions could land Porter and a third-round pick in exchange for first- and sixth-round picks.
“Really, this trade should be as simple as the Lions trading a first-round pick to the Steelers for Porter,” DeArdo wrote. “Porter’s value to Detroit is greater than next year’s first-round pick. The Steelers can use that pick to draft another starting-caliber player. It’s a win-win for both teams.”
Lions Get Definitive Answer on Joey Porter Jr. Trade Rumors