With Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. not playing in Week 1, trade rumors have reached new heights around the fourth-year defender. According to one report, a favorite has emerged.
NFL writer Easton Butler reported Monday night the Detroit Lions are the front runners to land Porter if the Steelers trade him this season. Butler also named the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings and another NFC East team potential trade destinations for the cornerback.
Butler posted the teams along with the asking price on X in response to a separate report about the Lions being favorites in the Porter sweepstakes.
“Asking price is two 1s. Lions front runners,” wrote Butler. “Commanders after that. Vikings in the mix too, alongside another NFC East team.”
Porter is a trade candidate after sitting out Week 1 in the 2026 NFL season. The cornerback was seeking a new contract during the offseason and then preseason. The Steelers and Porter didn’t come to terms on a deal, and the team’s regular season deadline has past.
The Steelers don’t negotiate contract extensions during the season, which has led pundits to believe a trade is the only path forward for the two sides.
Lions Named Front Runners to Land Joey Porter Jr.
The Lions named the top potential destination for Porter shouldn’t be surprising. After Porter didn’t play in Week 1, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler made a list of five teams that “could” trade for the cornerback. Fowler included the Lions on the list.
“The Lions were looking for corner help even before they released Terrion Arnold in June. Detroit can spend the early weeks of the season evaluating how D.J. Reed, Keith Abney II, Roger McCreary and others play together,” wrote Fowler.
The question of whether Detroit could acquire Porter is the salary cap. The cornerback is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Because of the cost, any team that trades for him this fall would have to do so with the plan to sign Porter to an extension.
Steelers Wire’s Andrew Vasquez projected Porter to a 4-year, $128 million extension with about $101 million guaranteed. Such a deal would give the cornerback a $32 million average annual salary.
“Detroit has ample salary cap space — around $38 million as of Sunday, according to OverTheCap.com — but has committed more than $1 billion in extensions for star players, which could lead to a cap crunch very soon. Detroit also could decide to pay 2027 free agents Sam LaPorta (tight end) and Brian Branch (safety),” added Fowler.
Two first-round picks seems like a very high asking price, but it makes sense that the Steelers would start high in negotiations. Most pundits have predicted Porter to be worth a first-rounder on the trade market. But perhaps the Steelers can get a 2027 first-round choice and another pick.
If four teams are competing for Porter in trade negotiations, then the price to acquire him is going to be high.
Will the Steelers Really Trade Porter?
Butler and Kevin Hilss seemed pretty adamant the Steelers will trade Porter this season. Given his contract standoff, it’s not hard to see why that’s their prediction, but it’s still not guaranteed.
The Steelers have continued to try and suggest Porter missed Week 1 because of a back injury. The cornerback was on the PUP list in August because of the ailment, and head coach Mike McCarthy has told reporters multiple times Porter is still going through the “ramp up” phase.
“Hopefully we’ll have a good plan for him on Wednesday,” McCarthy told reporters Monday. “Hopefully, we’ll do more. That’s the outlook.
“Yeah, hopefully we move forward, more volume of work. That would be my anticipation.”
McCarthy also told the media it was his decision that Porter didn’t play in Week 1 and added that he “expects” Porter to play after the ramp-up phase is complete.
If Porter returns to the field, then the trade conversation around the cornerback is completely different. But indications on the trade market are teams aren’t concerned about dealing for the cornerback with the back injury. So the ailment isn’t serious and Porter will be back very soon. Or, McCarthy is trying to convince the public the back injury is bigger factor in the situation than it really is.
The Steelers will visit the defending AFC champions this week in the New England Patriots. Surely, they would love to have Porter in the lineup.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10 this year. If the Steelers pursue a trade involving Porter, they have a lot of time to work out the details.
Front Runner Emerges in Potential Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. Trade Sweepstakes: Report