Joey Porter Jr. dug his heels in by 'holding-in' all summer, and so did the Pittsburgh Steelers when they didn't offer their star cornerback a contract without seeing him first take the field. It's a true standoff, and even those with the closest connections to the organization don't know how this is going to end.
I'm not sure Omar Khan does either.
The Steelers' GM reiterated that the team does not negotiate contracts once the season starts—a decision that sparked controversy. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently blasted Omar Khan and the front office for their 'outdated' policy regarding contracts after the season starts.
While Florio raised some good points, the last thing Khan can afford to do is cave to Porter's commands with Week 1 looming.
Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers still hold all the leverage in the Joey Porter Jr. contract standoff
We can't forget that the Steelers have the upper hand here. Porter is still under contract and is obligated to play during the 2026 season to earn an accrued season. If he elects to sit out all year, his contract tolls, which isn't going to help his cause.
Even if Porter threatened to sit out the whole year, the Steelers can exercise absolute power over the situation by flashing their trump card: the franchise tag.
Not only can the Steelers slap the franchise tag on Porter to keep him around for the 2027 season, but if they so choose, they can double-tag him in 2028. Based on current projections from Over the Cap, the franchise tag for a cornerback in 2027 is expected to be just over $23.1 million. This would increase by 120% if the Steelers tagged Porter a second time in 2028, or the current year's tag amount, whichever is higher.
If cornerbacks like Christian Gonzalez get paid before then (and they likely will), this will increase the tag amount. But this would still be cheaper, in terms of average annual value, than caving to give Porter the record-setting contract he desires.
Meanwhile, with the 2026 season on the horizon, the Steelers currently have a deep cornerback room and players like Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette itching to get on the field. Once Porter starts getting fined and misses out on game checks, he could cave and come back to the team.
We know that threatening the franchise tag isn't exactly the best PR move the Steelers could make, but that's what these tags are for—to give them protection in cases like this.
Joey Porter Jr. is an excellent cornerback, but Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers can't cave to the offer Porter is seeking. At this point, it's best for Khan to just call his bluff and hope Porter can refocus on football.
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