League and Pittsburgh Steelers insiders had various updates on the contract situation with Joey Porter Jr. on Thursday. The most intriguing of which undoubtably came from Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola.
On the 102.5 WDVE pregame show Thursday evening, Labriola suggested Porter doesn’t want a new contract in Pittsburgh.
“I think that this is gonna go down to the wire,” said Labriola, via Steelers Depot’s X account. “It’s a complex contract situation. I don’t know if Joey Porter Jr. really wants to get a deal done.
“I think if he really wanted to get a deal done, it would be done by now.”
Porter is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract this season. He will become an unrestricted free agent in March.
According to insiders, though, Porter, who is currently on the PUP list with a back injury, is seeking a contract extension.
Latest Updates on Steelers Negotiations With Joey Porter Jr.
There’s a ton of gamesmanship when it comes to NFL contracts. So any media update, even from the most respected sources, should probably receive some scrutiny.
Labriola works for the Steelers. As a team employee, it makes sense for Labriola to push the narrative that Porter is being the more difficult one in negotiations.
Perhaps there is some truth to Labriola’s report. Clearly, Porter isn’t willing to sign a deal at all cost. He appears to be seeking his full market value if not more.
But there has been no indication from any other source that Porter doesn’t want his next contract to come from the Steelers.
As Labriola mentioned, there are a lot of complicated factors in Porter’s contract negotiations. For one, he’s a legacy player. His father played and coached for the Steelers. Porter Sr. was a fan favorite on the team’s fifth Super Bowl championship roster.
Porter Jr. has been popular since the team drafted him three years ago for that reason too. The cornerback also played college football at local Penn State.
Could the cornerback be using that as leverage for additional money? It wouldn’t be the best public relations move for the Steelers to lose Porter.
Labriola dropping Porter’s lack of desire for a deal could be the team fighting back against the potential negative PR the Steelers would see without an extension.
Steelers Predicted to Sign Porter
During the same pregame radio discussion, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac was a little more optimistic about the Steelers signing Porter.
But the reality is the two sides haven’t made much progress.
“I expect them to get a deal done, but I can tell you there has been no significant movement toward getting that done,” Dulac said. “Now, that doesn’t mean, they have two weeks, that doesn’t mean by next week, especially, things might get done.”
Dulac then repeated something his colleague at the local newspaper, Ray Fittipaldo, said on a podcast Wednesday.
Negotiations won’t be successful with the Steelers if Porter wants to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league.
“I don’t know what Porter and his representatives, what they’re looking for or what their, again, what their end game is because if they think they’re gonna get top five cornerback money,” Dulac added. “That’s just not the case.”
Connecting the dots in the conversation overall, Labriola could have formed his argument that Porter doesn’t really want a deal done based on the fact he’s aiming for a very expensive deal.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter gave a similar update to Dulac while on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. Schefter, though, didn’t conclude the two sides would reach a deal.
“They haven’t appeared to be close to a deal,” Schefter said. “They’ve never gotten close… That doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
“Could the Steelers get an offer that would be enough that will make them think about dealing Joey Porter Jr.?”
Steelers Insider Stirs the Pot on Joey Porter Jr.’s Desire for Extension