Joey Porter Jr's Future With The Steelers Just Got Extremely Murky

There are currently mixed reviews regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 NFL Draft class. The botched first-round fiasco has generated plenty of headlines, as wide receiver Makai Lemon will be playing on the eastern side of the state with the Philadelphia Eagles instead of in the Steel City. General Manager Omar Khan ended up taking 10 selections overall, and had a lot of pressure on him because of the successes of past groups that were taken. Specifically, the 2023 collective has been considered a home run, and the front office is now facing the challenge of choosing which players to extend.

The biggest names in the Steelers' building that are up for extensions as the 2026 offseason continues to progress are Joey Porter Jr., Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington, Keeanu Benton and Chris Boswell. Four of those individuals were drafted back in 2023, while the kicker in Boswell has enjoyed a phenomenal career in Pittsburgh.

It has consistently been viewed as though the organization will not be able to retain all of these contributors. Herbig seems to be the biggest challenge because edge rushers are getting paid insane amounts of money on the open market. It might not make sense for him to take a smaller deal and then continue to work as the third option on the depth chart. His representation is likely encouraging him to stick out the 2026 campaign on his rookie contract.

The least expensive of the group will probably be Benton, mainly because he hasn't truly proven himself. He has been inconsistent, yet effective enough at times to the point where the franchise may want to keep him around. That puts a lot of the focus on Porter, Washington and Boswell. It seems like a no-brainer to keep one of the NFL's most accurate kickers ever with the team, too.

In a fan chat hosted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, he fielded plenty of questions about the state of the Steelers. Someone chimed in and asked about who is guaranteed to get an extension prior to the regular season beginning. The answer from the insider could surprise people.

"Boswell," Dulac wrote bluntly.

This brings up a new discussion that was never expected to happen. Porter has been a true top-end corner for Pittsburgh and his family ties to the city are no secret. He is going to demand a massive deal, but Dulac isn't sold just yet on the likelihood of that happening. The team selected Daylen Everette in the third round, but he has a long way to go before proving himself as a possible replacement for Porter.

There has been a little talk about extensions, but Khan hasn't necessarily jumped out of his seat to label anyone as a priority. The most lucrative deal of the bunch would hypothetically be Porter, so the Steelers might not be sold on coughing up well over $20 million per season to the defender. He has been stout in the red zone and was better with penalties in 2025; however, what if Pittsburgh doesn't believe he is worth top-5 cornerback money?

Contract negotiations are part of the game and each organization runs a business. The long-term options on the current roster are relatively slim, so it shouldn't come off as a surprise if the Steelers hand out a big chunk of money to Porter. However, Dulac is well connected and only having confidence in Boswell putting pen to paper is relatively concerning.

Steelers Likely Planning To Prioritize Porter Second

After a Boswell deal gets done — which should be relatively easy because the mark seems to be roughly $7 million per season — Porter should be up next. Herbig isn't even necessarily a starter, Benton will be a low-end contract, and Washington is a little bit of a wild card. Overall, it's hard not to imagine the Steelers getting Boswell done first and pivoting to Porter immediately after.

#SteelerNation