If the Pittsburgh Steelers are truly looking to move star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in a trade instead of paying him, only a few teams have what it takes to get him — namely, the proper draft capital and the proper amount of salary cap space.
The San Francisco 49ers are 1 of those teams, which ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pointed out, and put them at the top of his list of trade fits for Porter after he sat out the season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons.
“The 49ers’ cornerback rotation looked stout Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams, but seasons are long and Porter would help the defense immensely,” Fowler wrote on Sunday, September 13. “San Francisco has eight draft picks in 2027 and around $45 million in cap space. Porter Jr. opposite Deommodore Lenoir would form a stout 1-2 cornerback combo for the 49ers.”
What Would it Cost to Trade for Joey Porter Jr.?
The cost to bring Porter Jr. to the Commanders would be something along the lines of a 2027 3rd-round pick or a 2028 2nd-round pick.
“Porter has maintained his desire to be compensated as a top-level corner, a position that has seen five players reach or eclipse the $30 million per year mark since the start of last offseason, including a record-setting four-year, $133 million contract for Seattle Seahawks star Devon Witherspoon,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote on August 25. “While Porter probably won’t reset the market, he’s due for a major raise over the $4 million in base salary he’s due in 2026. The corner has been a lynchpin in Pittsburgh’s secondary since being drafted No. 32 overall in 2023. In that span, the second-rounder has appeared in 41 games — starting 41 — and recorded 165 tackles, 31 pass defenses and three interceptions.”
Joey Porter Jr. Son of Legendary NFL Linebacker
If you didn’t guess already, Porter Jr. is the son of legendary NFL linebacker Joey Porter, a 4-time NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowler who helped lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory following the 2005 season.
After becoming a 3-time All-Big Ten pick at Penn State, Porter Jr. was projected as a 1st-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but dropped to the 1st pick of the 2nd round at No. 32 overall.
In his 1st 3 seasons, Porter Jr. has started 41 out of the 47 regular-season games he’s played in, but missed a career-high 3 games in 2025.
Steelers fans do not want Porter going anywhere, but not getting that big paycheck at this point is a sign things have gone south.
“We were looking for a number 1 corner for years lol no way we trade him,” Steelers fan JermPGH wrote on his official X account. “I definitely get why teams would check in.”
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