The Minnesota Vikings are a potential landing spot for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who is currently in a standoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the fourth and final year of his contract approaches, but the pertinent question is whether his value is equal to his cost.
Judd Zulgad of SKOR North on Wednesday, August 26 argued that Porter may not fit in Minnesota, not because he couldn’t excel in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’s system, but because Flores doesn’t need Porter badly enough for the Vikings to spend the draft capital and future salary cap space it would take to acquire and keep the fourth-year defensive back.
“Does Brian Flores’ scheme put enough importance on a cornerback to do that?” Zulgad said. “Before Flores got here, I was a big cornerback guy. You know as far as like, use first-round picks on corners, don’t try to be cheap on corners, they’re too important.”
“But the way that Flores schemes his defense up … I’m not saying that the Vikings’ current corners aren’t good. I am saying they wouldn’t probably wouldn’t be my first choices,” Zulgad continued. “I don’t know that Brian Flores puts enough importance on a corner to A) trade draft capital, especially if it’s trade capital from 2027, and 2) Joey Porter Jr. is gonna get paid. So like does that make sense for what Flores does, even if Joey Porter Jr. is a really good scheme fit?”
Joey Porter Jr. Likely to Cost 2 Draft Picks, Including 2027 Second-Rounder, Demand $70 Million Extension
GettyCornerback Joey Porter Jr. of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report authored trade pitches on Tuesday, August 25 that would send Porter to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick, as well as another flipping him to the Green Bay Packers for a second-round selection and a fifth-rounder.
Not only would the Vikings likely have to pay something similar in terms of trade cost, but Porter’s salary beyond the 2026 campaign will also be substantial. Spotrac projects Porter’s market value at north of $70 million over a three-year contract, which equates to more than $23 million annually.
Porter, the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft who will play the upcoming campaign at 26 years old, put up 52 tackles, 14 pass breakups, one interception and one sack last season in 14 games played. For his career, Porter has tallied 31 passes defensed and three interceptions in 47 appearances (41 starts).
Brian Flores Led Vikings Defense to No. 3 Ranking in NFL Last Season
GettyDefensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings have found ways to remain among the league’s elite defenses across Flores’s three years in Minnesota, even when the personnel talent did not match the unit ranking and overall results.
Minnesota ranked No. 3 in yardage allowed last season at 282.6 yards per contest, as well as seventh in points per game at 19.6 points surrendered per outing.
The team is facing significant turnover this season, including at the edge-rush position after Minnesota traded linebacker Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles during April’s draft in return for two third-round picks.
Vikings Not Expected to Pursue Trade for Projected $70 Million CB Under Brian Flores