The Joey Porter Jr. contract extension saga with the Pittsburgh Steelers continues. It has been a major topic of discussion throughout the offseason and even more lately, but the two sides still don't appear to be close to reaching an agreement.
Now, with Porter’s status for Week 1 in question because of a back injury, the situation has become even more complicated. He hasn't practiced, making it difficult to tell how serious the injury actually is. There could also be speculation about whether the injury is connected in any way to his ongoing contract situation and a potential holdout that could extend into the regular season.
Either way, the clock is ticking. The Steelers have always maintained a firm policy of getting contract extensions done before the regular season begins and not negotiating new deals once the season is underway. With Week 1 kickoff quickly approaching and no agreement in sight, the chances of the Steelers and Porter reaching a long-term deal before the deadline are beginning to look increasingly slim.
Time is running out for Porter and the Pittsburgh Steelers to reach a deal
The biggest issue with this whole contract situation seems to be that both sides are still pretty far apart on how much Porter should make per year. The Steelers don't seem to view him as a top-of-the-market type of cornerback just yet, while Porter wants to be paid like the highest-paid corner in the NFL, or at least be right near the top.
That became even more complicated this week after Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez signed a four-year, $135 million extension with $102 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
With Gonzalez resetting the market again, does Porter’s camp now go back to the drawing board and try to top that deal? If that's what they're looking for, I just don't see the Steelers being willing to pay it. The front office needs to stand firm on what they view the player at and not give in to player demands.
The Gonzalez deal only makes it harder for the two sides to find common ground, and with the deadline coming up so quickly, it feels more and more like this gets pushed into next offseason,
and that's when things could really get interesting.
Porter could take a stronger stance and potentially sit out games this season, while the Steelers could eventually decide to play the franchise tag game instead of giving him the massive long-term deal he's looking for. Even worse, if this gets even uglier, the Steelers could look to trade the hometown cornerback.
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