Joey Porter Jr.’s perception of himself exudes confidence. He believes he’s one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks, and he’s starting to feel like the rest of the league is catching up to that idea. The problem is the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t paid him like it yet.
That’s where former NFL general manager and current SiriusXM NFL Radio host Pat Kirwan sees a harsh reality coming his way. Porter wants top cornerback money. Pittsburgh is handing out money left and right. The Steelers gave Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million deal even though he’s still behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on the depth chart. They also extended Darnell Washington on a four-year, $42 million deal that ties him to Pittsburgh for five years and makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid tight ends. He’s No. 2 to Pat Freiermuth.
Porter can look around that locker room and wonder why players who aren’t full-time starters got paid before him.
Kirwan said that dynamic could become a problem.
“We all got egos, and he's saying they're giving out guys that aren't even starters, and I can't get a new deal,” Kirwan said on "Movin' the Chains." “This does not look good for him, in my opinion.”
That’s the part the Steelers can’t ignore. Porter isn’t just another young player waiting his turn. He’s a former second-round pick, a legacy Steeler, and one of the faces of their defense. He’s also in a sticky situation because his value might not line up with how he sees himself.
Pittsburgh Steelers don't see Joey Porter Jr. as a blank-check player
Kirwan said if he were ranking Porter off last season alone, he’d have him “somewhere in the early twenties” among NFL cornerbacks. That doesn’t mean Porter isn’t talented, and it doesn’t mean Pittsburgh doesn’t value him. It does mean the Steelers may not be eager to jump straight into the highest tier of the cornerback market.
“And so, what he's looking for might not be what he's getting right now,” Kirwan said.
That’s where this gets uncomfortable. Porter has talked about feeling elite and getting the respect he feels he’s owed. The Steelers, meanwhile, have been aggressive about paying other young pieces while Porter waits.
Kirwan pointed to Pittsburgh’s cap situation as part of the issue.
"So, day after day, it feels like they are giving out money,” Kirwan said. “And then I start to say, well, where are they at now in cap space? They're dead last right now. They got 4 million and some change to spend. You can manipulate the cap; things can happen. You can move a B and C for D. But you're giving out deals. You're 32nd in the NFL right now in cap space. Joey Porter Jr. wants a new deal.”
The cap can always be worked around, but that doesn’t mean the Steelers have to meet Porter’s number. Kirwan floated a potential compromise at four years and $100 million, which would put Porter at $25 million per season.
“We’re gonna offer you a $100 million for four years, that’s $25 million, that’s as high as we’re going,” Kirwan said. “Otherwise, we’ll franchise tag you, and now you’re gonna have a Joey Porter Jr. not in a happy mood.”
That’s the fight Pittsburgh has to avoid. A franchise tag battle with Porter wouldn’t just be a contract dispute. It’d carry extra weight because of his name, his role, and his personality.
“There’s a lot of things that go on with the Porter name ... that probably don’t go on with everybody else,” Kirwan said.
Porter’s connection to the franchise matters, but so does the Steelers’ willingness to set boundaries. If Pittsburgh doesn’t view him as a top-five corner, it’s hard to see the team paying him like one.
Porter feels like his time has arrived, but the Steelers might be telling him something different.
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