The Pittsburgh Steelers closed two significant deals at the buzzer leading up to 2023 training camp: Burgeoning outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and legacy rookie Joey Porter Jr.
It seemed pretty clear from the tone Highsmith used with the media when asked about his pending extension that it was getting done. Speculation surrounded Porter’s situation, though, that a deal with the team would be unfinished business as camp opened on July 27.
Speculation was just that as on training camp eve — also Porter’s birthday — the team announced they’d signed their final rookie. It’s a four-year, $9.6 million dollar contract for the No. 32 pick with a $3.995 signing bonus and $5 million guaranteed, according to Over the Cap.
We have signed CB Joey Porter Jr. @BordasLaw
Why the delay? There were talks of it being centered around where Porter was selected in the draft. Typically No. 32 is a first-round selection, but a forfeited pick by the Miami Dolphins shifted it to the second round. There was an argument to be made by the NFLPA (player’s union) that Porter deserved a first-round draft slot and not a second-round position. The difference in salary between a first-round pick and a second-round pick is significant — Porter is earning $3.395 million less as a second-round pick than the last pick of the first round. The last pick of the first round also gets a fully guaranteed contract, whereas Porter only got three.
When asked about what “hoops” there were to navigate with Porter’s contract, Steelers general manager Omar Khan stated it was about quarterback Will Levis, selected by the Tennessee Titans one pick later. Levis signed his contract on July 22.
“It was really more the fact there was a quarterback behind him, I think, that maybe had something to do with it, but he got done in time for camp. It was no issues from our end.”
Omar Khan said that he believes the fact that Will Levis was drafted behind Joey Porter Jr. complicated the contract negotiations. But no problems there now that it’s signed.
It’s likely Porter’s agent was waiting to see what Levis’s deal shaped up like before signing on the dotted line.
Khan stated there are no contracts currently being negotiated with other players but that “we’re not going to close the door on anything.”
Joey Porter Jr. Comments on Signing Rookie Contract
One of the best days in Joey Porter Jr.’s life happened to come on his 23rd birthday. But there was little time to celebrate as Pittsburgh Steelers training camp kicked off the next day.
“I feel great,” Porter told Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “I got it on my birthday. It was a great feeling. Me and my family celebrated a little bit, but now it’s time to work.”
“I really wasn’t getting antsy or nervous. Me and the whole staff got a good understanding of what was going on. With the numbers and stuff, I really can’t really talk about that too much because I leave that with my agents.”
Joey Porter Jr.’s Training Camp Experience Comes ‘Full Circle’
Joey Porter Jr. is no stranger to the training camp experience at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. His father, Pittsburgh Steelers legend Joey Porter, was in only his second year in the NFL when his son, now 23, was born. He grew up watching his linebacker dad run the fields at Chuck Noll Field and now it’s the other way around.
“It’s kind of crazy because I remember being here when I was a young kid being a ball boy, so now it’s full circle,” Porter said in a July 28 press conference. “My dad’s gonna watch me practice now. It’s a great experience, it’s a great feeling. I’m just excited for it.”
The message from his dad before going to his first NFL training camp as a player was simple: Be you. “He just tells me to be me, at the end of the day. They got me for being me. They know who I am, they know how I play, so I don’t have to really change nothing about how I played or my style. That’s why I’m walking in with with just a lot of confidence like I usually do.
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Steelers GM Addresses ‘Hoops’ Leading Up to Joey Porter Jr. Contract