As much as the New York Giants might want to tell themselves they’re all set at cornerback, we should all believe what our eyes tell us — they aren’t
Right now, a very good cornerback is openly looking for a new home: Pittsburgh Steelers star Joey Porter Jr.
Porter, the son of legendary NFL linebacker Joey Porter, is at a contract impasse with his current team, and things are starting to get ugly.
Enter the Giants.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport called the Giants top trade destination for Porter, who Spotrac projects has a market value of a 4-year, $109.6 million contract extension.
“The New York Giants got a big win in Week 1 over the Dallas Cowboys, but the team still has significant questions on defense — especially at the cornerback position,” Davenport wrote on September 18. “There’s no question that a healthy Porter would be a sizable upgrade over Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome at cornerback. And given the talent that the Giants have in the front seven, an argument can be made that a Giants team that was the 28th in the NFL in total defense last year would have a defense as good as any in the division on paper with Porter in the fold. Combine that with all the young talent the Giants have on offense, and you could be talking about a legitimate playoff contender.”
Is Porter Missing Games With Fugazi Injury Issues?
There’s little belief Porter actually has the publicly stated “back issues” that kept him out of the Steelers’ season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons — or that he has the “back issues” that forced him to leave practice this week before they play the New England Patriots in Week 2.
The Steelers, to their credit, have stopped playing along as Porter battles with the front office over getting paid.
“Steelers no longer listening Joey Porter Jr. as having a back injury,” ESPN’S Brooke Pryor wrote on her official X account on September 6. “Instead his ‘injury’ listed is ‘conditionining.’ ”
What Would it Cost to Trade for Joey Porter Jr.?
The cost to bring Porter Jr. to the Giants would be something along the lines of a 2027 3rd-round pick or a 2028 2nd-round pick.
“Porter has maintained his desire to be compensated as a top-level corner, a position that has seen five players reach or eclipse the $30 million per year mark since the start of last offseason, including a record-setting four-year, $133 million contract for Seattle Seahawks star Devon Witherspoon,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote on August 25. “While Porter probably won’t reset the market, he’s due for a major raise over the $4 million in base salary he’s due in 2026. The corner has been a lynchpin in Pittsburgh’s secondary since being drafted No. 32 overall in 2023. In that span, the second-rounder has appeared in 41 games — starting 41 — and recorded 165 tackles, 31 pass defenses and three interceptions.”
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