The Pittsburgh Steelers may have reached the point of no return in the Joey Porter Jr. contract saga. After staging a 'hold-in' all summer, Porter is about to enter the 2026 season without taking so much as a single practice rep in Patrick Graham's new defense. Now the situation just went from bad to worse.
As Porter's agency waited for the Steelers to fold, the New England Patriots finally came to terms on a Christian Gonzalez extension that will pay the young cornerback $33.75 million per season. This four-year, $135 million contract includes $102 million in guaranteed money and makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
Reports already indicated the Steelers and Porter were far apart in contract talks, and this doesn't help. While keeping their star CB during a fleeting window is still the most desirable option, the Steelers could look to trade Porter.
And there's an obvious suitor hiding in plain sight.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could trade CB Joey Porter Jr. to the Green Bay Packers
If the Steelers want to play hardball, they could threaten their control over Porter with the franchise tag (and even a double-franchise tag in 2028). But this opens the door to loopholes from Porter's agency. They could have a doctor examine Porter and determine that he has some sort of injury. This would allow him to watch from the sidelines while collecting what would be a guaranteed salary on the franchise tag.
If general manager Omar Khan wants to avoid this looming nightmare altogether, he has two choices: either he overpays for Porter, making him the highest-billed cornerback in NFL history, or he sends him packing in a trade.
And the Green Bay Packers already look like the perfect trade partner.
The Packers showed late last summer that they aren't afraid to get aggressive when they traded a pair of first-round picks for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons. Though Green Bay is without a first-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft because of the Parsons trade, they are projected to have 11 draft picks, including three inside the top 100, per Tankathon.
The Packers' cornerback depth is beyond concerning. Outside of second-round rookie Brandon Cisse, the rest of the group consists of Keisean Nixon, Javon Bullard, Benjamin St-Juste, Carrington Valentine, and Kamal Hadden. This is as bad as it gets.
For a team looking to compete now, they could use a player like Porter Jr.
The Packers might have no issue surrendering a second-round pick to acquire the talented cornerback. This would leave them without a first- or second-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, but they would still have a pair of third-rounders to go with 10 overall selections.
However, the Steelers would likely want more than this to part ways with their ascending CB. Perhaps a second-rounder and an additional future mid-round choice would add more fuel to the conversation.
At the end of the day, a trade still feels like a last resort for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But if Khan decides to go this route, the Green Bay Packers feel like a perfect match.
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