Just hours before kickoff and with Joey Porter Jr. about to miss his third-straight game, the latest report added to the drama surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and their young cornerback.
Teams Are Still Inquiring About Trading for Joey Porter Jr.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “a handful of teams,” which includes the Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions, have been “making inquiries” about Porter’s availability for a potential trade. And even though both of these teams have been in rumors and reports about having an interest in Porter in the past, their continued persistence stands out even more with each passing day.
Schefter’s Sunday morning report also came just a few days after Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy snapped at a reporter for asking a direct question concerning Porter’s status. Porter took part in drills during practice, but has yet to ramp up his activity to move towards playing in a game. To his credit, Porter did follow that interaction by saying he does plan to play at some point this season, although still being vague enough to add to the confusion.
Why the Steelers Are an ‘Impasse’ With Porter
Part of the impasse stems from the Steelers viewing Porter, a productive player who has yet to be named a Pro Bowler through three seasons, as shy of warranting a contact that would reset the market again. Porter, on the other hand, has watched similar players spike the market with big contracts throughout the offseason.
Porter, 26, is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded 52 total tackles in 14 games. He also deflected 14 passes and picked off one. But Porter is two years removed from his best season of his young career yet. In 2024, Porter put up a career-high 70 combined tackles, 53 credited as solo, a couple tackles for a loss, seven pass deflections and an interception. He registered 43 tackles as a rookie.
A Porter Trade Would Be Polarizing for Steelers Fans
With the Steelers unwilling to budge on their stance, and Porter seemingly unwilling to meet in the middle, the most likely scenario is the two sides are unable to ever come to terms. And an eventual breakup between Pittsburgh and Porter would create a disappointing end to a franchise’s relationship with a legacy player.
A possible trade of Porter, 26, the son of the former popular Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr., comes with extra emotions for fans. Porter Sr. made four Pro Bowls and was part of a Super Bowl winning team in Pittsburgh. Fans figured his son would enjoy similar, if not greater, success when the Steelers brought him home by selecting him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State.
Once again without Porter, the Steelers will take the field on Sunday afternoon, this time in their first AFC matchup of the season against Joe Burrow and the rival Cincinnati Bengals. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET from Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium.
Latest Report Adds to Speculation About Joey Porter Jr.’s Future With Steelers