"Will Not Happen": Steelers Not Preparing To Give Joey Porter Jr Unexpected Amount Of Guaranteed Money

The Pittsburgh Steelers had plenty of cap space at one time early on in the 2026 offseason. Suddenly, the financial leeway that the organization possessed disappeared once General Manager Omar Khan started making moves. Whether it be the trade market, free agency or extending deserving returning members on the roster, a lot of cash was dished out. Now, perhaps the most expensive responsibility of them all, extending Joey Porter Jr., is drawing plenty of headlines as training camp inches closer. The franchise should reward the young corner for phenomenal play, but he is not going to come cheap.

There could be a number of things coming up in the negotiations between the defender and the Steelers. Average annual contract value is something that will be important, as well as where Porter stacks up against the league's best defensive backs. Above all, however, the guaranteed money that comes with the deal will be what ultimately provides long-term financial security to the former second-rounder.

This is where contract discussions at the professional level can get a little bit tough. The NFL is a business, so organizations want to make sure that they are not giving too much of a commitment to any specific player, unless that individual truly deserves it. Porter certainly is worthy of a new deal and the cash that comes with it; however, it's hard to actually put a legitimate number on it.

Trent McDuffie signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Los Angeles Rams after being dealt there, and it came with a whopping $100 million guaranteed in totality. That had a Steelers fan attempting to guess what Porter could get prior to the 2026 regular season beginning. Despite throwing out a number of $87 million to Ray Fittipaldo during a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette fan chat, the insider shut down that possibility.

"Guaranteeing $87 million (basically 3 years) will not happen," Fittipaldo firmly noted. "They might have to go over $40 million in guaranteed money, but they won't approach what you suggest."

The Steelers don't normally give out guaranteed cash beyond the first two seasons of any deal, which is why the beat writer answered the way he did. Pittsburgh might have to sacrifice giving out a higher total contract value with less guaranteed money to satisfy Porter's camp. It would be a relatively wise gamble to take on, as the corner has never played in less than 14 games in his professional career. This could put the defender in the driver's seat as talks heat up.

Khan and co. are coming very close to pulling off an incredible offseason. There were plenty of upgrades made when it comes to the roster, and several members of the team were extended. This batch includes a couple guys who were drafted back in 2023, similarly to Porter. Now, there needs to be one more trick up the sleeve of the front office to finalize locking in young talent.

Unfortunately, the Steelers might run into similar problems moving forward. The franchise has been adamant about building up the trenches of late, so once several offensive linemen are ready to talk about new deals, there could have to be some decisions made that end up being harder than originally anticipated. That could be one of the reasons why Porter's extension is not done. The decision-makers might be trying to give him what he is due, while also planning ahead.

Steelers Will Never Apologize For Drafting Extremely Well

Pittsburgh may have not experienced postseason success in some time, but it could be coming. Plenty of the drafts during the Khan era have led to the team bringing in immense talent. Now, some of those contributors are getting extended, or will be soon, while also maturing on and off the field. There is a lot to look forward to; that is, if the Steelers can find a franchise quarterback sooner rather than later.

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