Contract negotiations are still stalled between Joey Porter Jr. and the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a little over a week left before the Steelers kick off against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. The reports all offseason have seemed to indicate that the Steelers and Porter were not very close to getting a new deal, and that hasn't changed even in the past couple of days.
With new cornerback deals around the NFL recently resetting the market, Porter’s camp is still standing their ground on what they believe he should be paid based on what the market is, while the Steelers don’t view him as a cornerback of that stature.
What also makes this situation interesting is that the Steelers haven’t gotten to see Joey Porter Jr. practice at all. He was on the PUP list for all of training camp and is now off it after the 53-man roster was set, but he has been holding in at practice. With a new Steelers coaching staff, a new defense, and a new scheme, the Steelers have yet to see what Porter looks like in this system or how he fits into what they are trying to do defensively.
But with the start of the regular season now just over a week away and the pressure to get a deal done increasing, Joey Porter Jr. holds very little leverage in these contract negotiations.
Joey Porter Jr.'s camp needs to realize that the Pittsburgh Steelers hold the power here
Porter is still on his rookie contract, which is a big reason why he doesn’t have much leverage here. If he decides to sit out games, he needs to be on the active roster for at least six regular-season games to earn an accrued season.
If he holds out long enough and misses those six games, that season would not count toward his free agency. That could end up hurting Porter more than it hurts the Steelers because, instead of moving closer to unrestricted free agency, he could remain stuck at three accrued seasons.
That also means Porter’s path to free agency could be delayed. If he doesn’t earn that fourth accrued season, he would not become an unrestricted free agent the following year and could instead become a restricted free agent, giving the Steelers even more control over his future.
So while holding out may seem like a way for Porter to put pressure on the Steelers, it could actually give the Steelers more leverage if this situation carries into the regular season.
Even if Porter plays the 2026 season on his current contract, the Steelers could still use the franchise tag on him in 2027. That means the Steelers could keep him under contract for another season instead of letting him hit free agency.
The Steelers also don’t view Porter as a top cornerback in the NFL who deserves top-of-the-market money. Even if Porter were to request a trade, another team would have to give up a high draft pick for him while also giving him the contract he is looking for, which is a steep price to pay.
There could also be teams around the NFL that view Porter the same way the Steelers do and wouldn’t be willing to give up significant draft capital and pay him top-of-the-market money, which could leave Porter stuck in the same situation.
Omar Khan has also made it clear that the Steelers have a policy of not negotiating contract extensions once the regular season starts. That means Porter and his camp have a limited amount of time to get something done before the Steelers essentially shut the door on negotiations until the offseason.
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