Time is running out, because thanks to the Steelers long-standing tradition of refusing to negotiate with players once the season gets underway, it’s unlikely the team will be able to reach an agreement with Joey Porter Jr.
Time is Running Out on the Steelers, Joey Porter Jr.
But as Porter continues to stand firm in wanting a new contract that compares favorably to his peers, the Steelers are in a situation, or “impasse” as Mike McCarthy referred to it as, that makes the timetable irrelevant. According to the Athletic’s Mike DeFabo, the Steelers are hesitant to ever offer Porter anything close to the kind of money he’s looking for.
“From what I heard though, my understanding is they’ve not made him any kind of an offer that would really be reasonable that he would look at,” said DeFabo in his latest report.
“I don’t even know if there’s officially an offer, but I’m sure they’ve exchanged numbers, and that number is really a low-ball number. So in some ways, it does seem like the Steelers, I don’t know if they view him as one of those top guys. And realistically, if Joey thinks he’s going to reset the market, I think that that is a pretty hefty ask, and I’m not sure I would do that if I’m the Steelers,” he added.
Steelers Don’t View Porter as Worthy of Resetting Market
DeFabo is pointing out that, even though a national report indicates Pittsburgh hasn’t made an official offer, meaning going through the proper channels etc., but the team may have mentioned numbers to the player. However, the semantics don’t matter if the Steelers refuse to pay him anything close to what the market indicates he’s worth.
DeFabo also brings up that, while Porter may want a mega deal, or to even “reset the market” all over again, it’s debatable if that’s reasonable of him to request. Porter has shown he’s a productive player, but aside from his propensity to acquire penalties, he’s yet to be named a Pro Bowler in any of his three seasons in the NFL.
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 Emotional for Steelers Fans
If the Steelers are unwilling to budge, it will then be up to Porter himself to meet them in the middle. And if he’s unwilling to do that, all signs point to an eventual breakup between Pittsburgh and a player that comes with an additional factor unique to this situation.
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 fudged 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.
Steelers Staying Firm on Their Position in Joey Porter Jr. Situation