The Pittsburgh Steelers and 2023 second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. have hit a standstill in contract extension talks.
After seeing two of his draft classmates, Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington, already sign second contracts with the Steelers, and with Keeanu Benton expected to be next, many believed Porter would be the next player to get paid.
Instead, the two sides remain apart on what his average annual salary should be. Right now, both sides have different opinions on what Porter is worth.
That could become an even bigger issue after recent comments from Patriots owner Robert Kraft regarding contract talks with star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
If Gonzalez lands one of the highest-paying deals at the position, it could push Porter's asking price even higher. At that point, the gap between what Porter believes he deserves and what the Steelers are willing to pay could become even harder to close.
Christian Gonzalez's looming payday could drive up Joey Porter Jr.'s asking price with the Steelers
A couple of days ago, Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed that New England has offered Christian Gonzalez the highest contract for a cornerback in NFL history. On top of that, Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon is also expected to be in line for a massive extension that could reset the cornerback market once again.
Two major deals like that could have a direct impact on Joey Porter Jr.'s contract negotiations with the Steelers. Porter believes he should be paid like one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, while the Steelers appear to value him closer to the lower end of the top 10 cornerback market.
That gap in where both sides view his value is what has caused talks to slow down.
Currently, the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL is Denzel Ward, who received a contract extension early this week. Before that, it was Trent McDuffie, who signed a deal worth $31 million per year before being traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams.
If Gonzalez receives the historic contract that Kraft is talking about, that number will likely be surpassed. It could be by a million or two per year, or possibly even more, depending on whether Gonzalez or Witherspoon gets their deal done first.
The question for Joey Porter Jr. is whether he is truly in that same tier as some of the elite cornerbacks who have reset the market. There is no denying Porter is a very good cornerback and has been a valuable piece for the Steelers, but he is not viewed around the league the same way as some of the top players commanding record-breaking money.
That is the difficult part of contract negotiations, and Porter is betting on himself to prove he belongs in that conversation.
The Steelers, however, have to stay disciplined. They have several important contracts coming up, with Keeanu Benton already looking for a new deal and Zach Frazier becoming eligible for an extension after this season. If Frazier continues developing the way many expect, he could have a legitimate argument to become the highest-paid center in the NFL.
If Pittsburgh and Porter can find a middle ground, especially when it comes to guaranteed money, extending him would make sense and give the Steelers stability at an important position for years to come. But they cannot allow the cornerback market to get out of control and limit their ability to keep other key players.
This could become one of the more interesting contract situations the Steelers have faced in recent years. It would not be surprising if this negotiation goes right up against the team's usual deadline of getting extensions done before the first regular-season game.
Once the season begins, the Steelers have historically avoided negotiating contract extensions until the offseason.
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