Joey Porter Jr.’s next contract was always going to be expensive. It’s more about how comfortable the Pittsburgh Steelers are with opening their wallet when the number starts looking like true No. 1 cornerback money.
Ray Fittipaldo, Steelers insider for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, framed it that way on “The North Shore Drive,” speculating a potential figure that could open negotiations.
“Porter, we’re talking what, $20 million starting point in the contract negotiations? He's probably gonna want more than that. That's number one cornerback money,” Fittipaldo said.
That’s the tricky part for the Steelers. Porter isn’t just another young starter coming up for a raise. He’s become Pittsburgh’s top outside cornerback, one of its most important young defenders, and the kind of matchup piece this defense hasn’t always had.
Through three seasons, Porter has totaled 165 tackles, 31 passes defended, three interceptions, and one sack. Those are just numbers that don’t fully explain his value. Porter gives the Steelers a long, physical corner who can challenge bigger receivers, live outside, and let the defense play with more confidence behind the pass rush.
That kind of player costs real money, especially if Pittsburgh believes Porter is just getting started. If he takes another step in 2026, the Steelers won’t be negotiating with potential anymore. They’ll be negotiating with a proven premium-position defender.
Pittsburgh Steelers face a rare cornerback contract decision with Joey Porter Jr.
Fittipaldo also pointed out how unusual this situation is for Pittsburgh.
“This is the first time they’ve really had to actively do a second contract with a corner in quite some time."
He brought up Cortez Allen as an example, and that fits the broader point. The Steelers haven’t often drafted corners and then committed major second-contract money to them. Cameron Sutton was the most recent drafted Steelers cornerback to sign a second deal with the team, landing a two-year contract in 2021. Before Sutton, Allen’s 2014 extension was the last notable example.
Pittsburgh has paid corners before, but usually with players acquired from elsewhere, including Joe Haden and Ahkello Witherspoon. Drafting, developing, and then paying a corner has not been their usual pattern.
Porter should be the exception.
He plays a position where the Steelers have spent years searching for stability. He also carries a name that means something in Pittsburgh, but this can’t just be about lineage. Porter has to be paid because he’s becoming exactly what the Steelers hoped he would be.
“That’s gonna cost them a pretty penny,” Fittipaldo said. “It's gonna be similar to doing a big edge rusher or a big left tackle type of a contract.”
That comparison shows how the Steelers may need to adjust their thinking. Cornerback money is no longer something they can treat as secondary spending.
The timing also feels more notable after Pittsburgh’s deal with Nick Herbig. The Steelers signed the fourth-year outside linebacker to a four-year, $100 million extension Tuesday, including $42 million guaranteed. It was a stunning move for a player who’s been part of a rotation more than a full-time starter, but Herbig’s production explains why Pittsburgh moved early.
Herbig had 7.5 sacks in 2025 and has 16 sacks, nine forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries through three seasons despite averaging just 42% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps since entering the league in 2023. That’s starter-level impact in limited work.
The Steelers were wise to pay early. Waiting could’ve made Herbig even more expensive, and Porter’s situation has a similar lesson.
If Pittsburgh sees him as its long-term No. 1 corner, barring injury, the price isn’t coming down. The question is whether the Steelers want to pay him before the market decides for them.
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