The Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck. There is no other way to say it. Right now, the team and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. are hitting a wall. It is a classic standoff where nobody is budging, and it is making the start of the season much harder than it needs to be.
According to ESPN, the club and the young defender are at an “impasse” regarding a new deal. This is not just about money. It is also about health. The team moved Porter to the physically unable to perform list after a back issue flared during a mobility test. As the first pick of the second round in 2023, he enters the final year of the contract he signed. While the team has already signed other players from that same draft class, like Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington, Porter’s future remains unclear.
Coach Mike McCarthy spoke about the situation. He noted the difficulty of handling these types of talks while also trying to run a new defensive staff. He stated that the organization holds beliefs and so forth. So that’s where we are.
The price of talent
I do not care about the “business” side of this. I care about what happens on the field. You cannot win games if your best players are standing on the sidelines waiting for a check. The market for cornerbacks is moving fast. ESPN reported that Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon already locked in a massive new deal. Even New England’s Christian Gonzalez has been getting offers lately. Porter has been a steady starter. In 2025, he recorded 52 tackles, 14 passes defensed, and a sack. He also has an interception in each of his three professional seasons. He has earned the right to a big payday.
Jalen Ramsey, who was recently activated off the PUP list, even weighed in on the situation. Ramsey said, “They need to pay Joey Porter.” He is right. If you want to build a defense, you pay the guys who show up and do the work. You do not let them sit there and wonder if the team values them.
Stop the holdout tactics
We have seen this before. In 2023, Porter waited until the eve of training camp to sign his rookie deal. He also participated in individual drills during minicamp but stayed out of the full 11-on-11 work. It is a tactic used to get leverage, but it is not pretty to watch. It creates a distraction that a new coaching staff simply does not need. McCarthy admitted that the situation is a challenge for his first-year staff.
The Steelers have a history of not negotiating once the regular season starts. Time is running out with the season opener against Atlanta less than three weeks away. The defense needs its full secondary available when that game kicks off on Sept. 13.
