New Details Emerge That Could Complicate Steelers' Plans With Joey Porter Jr

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan had his first official draft running the team in 2023. That was the year he made the aggressive move to trade up for offensive tackle Broderick Jones. While that selection has not worked out quite the way Khan and the organization envisioned up to this point, the Steelers still came away with a relatively successful first draft under their new GM.

Pittsburgh struck gold in the fourth round when they selected edge rusher Nick Herbig. He quickly developed into a rising star, and at just 24 years old, Khan made it clear he had no interest in letting him reach the open market. The Steelers rewarded Herbig with a four-year, $100 million extension. Shortly after that move, Khan also took care of another member of the 2023 class, signing third-round tight end Darnell Washington to a four-year, $42 million contract extension.

That is a significant amount of money committed to players who currently are not full-time starters, but the Steelers are banking on those deals eventually looking like bargains as the market continues to rise. Typically, when teams sign players early, those contracts become cheaper over the long run, assuming the players continue to produce.

Of course, there is still cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to think about. Porter truly emerged as a top-flight corner during the 2025 season. Every year he has gotten better, developing into exactly the type of player Pittsburgh envisioned when they selected him in the second round. Most around the league do not believe Porter is going anywhere because of his ties to the organization. His father spent eight seasons with the Steelers, and Porter himself has developed into one of the best young corners in football. 

Khan clearly does not want to see him leave, and many have assumed Porter would receive a new deal before the start of the 2026 season. However, new details recently emerged when ESPN insider Bill Barnwell explained what could be causing a delay in negotiations.

"They're collectively playing a waiting game with one another here, given that the first player to sign might set the market for the others to top," Barnwell wrote.

Barnwell believes part of the issue stems from the fact that several top cornerbacks came out of the 2023 draft class. 

Players such as Christian Gonzalez, DJ Turner II, Devon Witherspoon, and Porter are all approaching extension talks, creating something of a standoff around the league as teams wait to see who resets the market first.

"Between Porter, Christian Gonzalez of the Patriots, DJ Turner II of the Bengals and Devon Witherspoon of the Seahawks, there are four corners who could credibly command market-setting deals from the 2023 class alone," Barnwell said. "Gonzalez and Witherspoon are represented by the same agency, which complicates their negotiations and makes it easier to play the waiting game. They're also first-round picks, leaving them with fifth-year options in 2028."

It is not just the organizations that are willing to play the waiting game. Obviously, teams would prefer to get the first deal done and stay below the market, but the players and their agents are likely leading the charge when it comes to waiting in pursuit of even more money. It is smart business from their perspective, but it is far from ideal for Pittsburgh, which could ultimately have to pay an even higher price to extend Porter.

Steelers' Porter Jr. Has Proven His Value

That would not necessarily be a bad thing because Porter has proven he is worth it. Still, the market would likely be cheaper if the Steelers got a deal done now as opposed to waiting until after the 2026 season. 

Pittsburgh traditionally does not negotiate with players during the season, and many are expecting Porter to receive a new contract before the 2026 campaign begins. Regardless, the waiting game surrounding the young cornerback has certainly become an interesting storyline to watch.

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