The Pittsburgh Steelers may not want to trade Joey Porter Jr. before the 2026 season gets underway. But Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes they may eventually have to listen.
Knox placed Porter as one of his top 10 players entering Week 1 trade block big board. Two potential suitors he named would have the cornerback heading to the NFC East for potential trade value.
For Pittsburgh, the issue isn’t Porter’s talent. It’s the contract situation that has yet to produce a new deal.
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“The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to believe they can make another run at the playoffs with Aaron Rodgers and new head coach Mike McCarthy,” Knox wrote. “Unless their perception changes, they probably won’t be eager to move starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr.”
That is where Porter’s stalled extension talks become important.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sept. 2 that Pittsburgh had gone weeks without making Porter a formal offer, which sent a clear message that the Steelers wanted him to play out the final year of his rookie deal.
“Sources say the Steelers’ lack of a formal offer for weeks sent the clear message to Porter that they would like him to play out the final year of his rookie contract, which prompted him to consider the possibility of a trade or sitting out for an extended period,” Fowler wrote.
Porter eventually returned to practice, but Fowler noted that the sides still face a significant gap because of where the cornerback market has moved.
Five cornerbacks now make at least $30 million per season. Fowler wrote that Porter appears to believe he belongs in that tier, while the Steelers may not be willing to pay him there.
Pittsburgh also has another lever. Fowler noted that the 2027 franchise tag for cornerbacks projects at roughly $23 million, giving the Steelers a way to keep Porter from immediately reaching free agency if no long-term agreement materializes.
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That is why Knox does not portray Porter as an easy player to acquire.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he still believes an extension can get done before the season.
If Pittsburgh does change course, however, Knox believes the return would have to be significant.
“However, trading for the 26-year-old would be costly, both in terms of compensation and the ensuing contract that would be required to keep him,” Knox wrote. “His market could be limited to playoff hopefuls with cap space to spare.”
Knox projected a 2027 first-round pick as the price tag and listed the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders as the logical landing spots.
That would be quite the return for a player Pittsburgh selected with the No. 32 overall pick in 2023, but it would also leave the Steelers moving on from one of the most important pieces of their secondary while they are still trying to contend.
For now, the Steelers can still solve the problem with an extension. If they can’t, perhaps a contender willing to pay both a first-round pick and Porter’s next contract could eventually force Pittsburgh into a much tougher decision.
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