It’s been an eventful week for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. despite the fourth-year player not being on the field.
On Thursday night, Porter became the subject of trade rumors because of a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Some Steelers insiders have pushed back on the report. But Schultz’s news highlighted the biggest current takeaway in the Steelers-Porter situation — the cornerback remains without a new deal entering a contract season.
That might remain the case for awhile too.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on 102.5 WDVE before Friday night’s preseason game the Steelers are not close to agreeing to a contract extension with Porter.
“They’re talking to him, but they’re nowhere near signing Joey Porter Jr.,” said Dulac, via Steelers Depot’s Jake Brockhoff. “So, is he going to go into the season without a contract? Which, you would think, he would have been the first guy they would try to re-sign.
“To me, the biggest loser in training camp right now is that whole situation with JPJ.”
Dulac was referring to the new contracts the Steelers agreed to with Porter’s draft classmates. Edge rusher Nick Herbig, tight end Darnell Washington and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton all received new deals this late spring and summer. The Steelers selected all three players after Porter in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Porter, who is currently on the PUP list this month because of a back injury, will be an unrestricted free agent in March. He has started 41 games over his first three NFL seasons.
Joey Porter Jr., Steelers Not Close to New Contract: Report
Dulac’s report isn’t super shocking. In a perfect world, the Steelers would have re-signed Porter first before Herbig, Washington or Benton.
Porter is probably both the best player of that group and the most important to Pittsburgh defense.
But it appears the Steelers have foregone a Porter extension — at least for now — to re-sign the others. That doesn’t mean the Steelers won’t agree to a deal with Porter. According to Dulac and others, the team wants Porter part of their long-term plan.
But how much Porter should earn has the two sides apparently at odds. And according to Dulac, they aren’t close.
The rising cost of cornerbacks could be an issue for the Steelers. Porter could want to be paid like a top 5 cornerback, which would cost $30 million per season.
The question then becomes whether the Steelers view Porter as having that kind of potential. Right now, he isn’t a top five cornerback in the league. Porter has yet to make the Pro Bowl.
Steelers Building Cornerback Depth
A day prior to Dulac’s report, Schultz posted on X that other NFL teams view Porter as a potential trade candidate.
“Porter is a name multiple teams around the NFL have wondered about as a potential trade target,” wrote Schultz.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly reported Friday that the team had no interest in trading Porter. Interestingly, that doesn’t really refute Schultz’s social media post, though, because Schultz was reporting from the other team’s perspective.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Steelers to trade Porter really anyone who is going to help them win in 2026. The team has a 42-year-old quarterback. For better or worse, the Steelers are going for it this season.
But it is interesting that the Steelers have built a tremendous amount of cornerback depth over the past year. They traded for Jalen Ramsey, rolled the dice on Asante Samuel Jr., signed Jamel Dean in free agency and drafted Daylen Everette.
Could that have been in preparation of a potential Porter departure? Or is Porter’s contract issues, and the Steelers building cornerback depth just a coincidence?
Steelers fans could get a better answer to those questions over the next couple weeks. The team famously doesn’t negotiate with players during the season. If Porter isn’t going to enter the season with 2026 a contract season, he needs a new deal before September 13.
Steelers Insider Gives Bad Update on Joey Porter Jr. Contract Amid Trade Rumors