Joey Porter Jr. was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and be a long-term piece for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys last week.
The strife between both sides came after a summer of failed negotiations on a contract extension. The Steelers did not meet his demands and then continued the tradition of not negotiating during the season.
Former Steeler Breiden Fehoko appeared on the “Mike Drop” podcast with Mike Asti and discussed a wide range of topics, including the Porter trade. He explained his view on what led to the breakdown in communication.
Former Steeler Declares Reason for Joey Porter Jr. Issue
Fehoko made it clear the Steelers’ way of business was partially to blame for the saga that lasted all summer.
“If I could put a percentage of what went down into Joey Porter Jr.’s decision about going about this the business way, was probably 40 to 50% of why Jr. acted the way he did,” he said.
The “business way” likely means the fact the Steelers are not big on guaranteed money, sticking to a traditional way of doing business in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, many of Porter’s counterparts around the league received lucrative extensions without issue.
This led to a situation where Porter claimed he could not practice or play due to a back injury, which quickly cleared up upon his arrival in Dallas.
Steelers Stuck to Tradition
Fehoko also discussed how he casts blame toward the Rooney family as well.
“I think the first finger I’m pointing is at the Rooney family,” he said. “The reason I do so is because the Steelers are such a traditional organization. And the downside to that tradition is when you don’t want to break out of your old ways.”
That specifically includes not handing out extensions early and not negotiating once the season begins. This strategy is fine to use, but it’s no longer the norm around the NFL. The Cowboys were more than happy to trade for Porter, though it should be noted he still does not have a new contract.
Porter is on the final year of his rookie deal and the market for top defensive backs is in the range of $30 million annually. The Steelers had no intention of guaranteeing such a deal on a long-term basis and it remains to be seen if the Cowboys will, or if they decide to consider cheaper options.
The Porter saga in Pittsburgh ended last week, but the criticism toward the organization is not going to stop anytime soon.
Former Steeler Shares Root Cause of Joey Porter Jr.’s Frustration