Steelers' Joey Porter Jr Receives Tragic News Regarding His Potential Hold-In

The Pittsburgh Steelers are just weeks away from making the trip to Saint Vincent College for 2026 training camp. While the lead-up to it is always exciting, it also comes with the scare of potential holdouts or hold-ins. The Steelers have gotten most of their extensions done. Still, the franchise couldn't get perhaps the most important one inked just yet. Joey Porter Jr. is going into training camp without a new deal. He is very likely to take part in a holdout or hold-in, meaning he will not be practicing until he has long-term security. 

The Steelers are no strangers to players holding out of practice or even an entire season. The most popular one being Le'Veon Bell holding out for the entire 2018 campaign in hopes of more guaranteed money, a move that completely derailed his career. In 2021, TJ Watt held-in until just two days before the season and became, at the time, the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. 

Watt would go on to have the best season of his career, tying the NFL sack record at the time with 22.5. Cam Heyward has had his share of 2025 offseason drama, wanting a restructured deal after his All-Pro year in 2024. He reported to training camp and participated in individual drills, but opted out of team drills. Omar Khan eventually gave in and awarded Heyward with new incentives into his already existing contract.

The biggest part of holding in is the leverage standpoint. Heyward is a multiple-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler, and Watt was the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, giving him all the leverage for a new contract. With Porter potentially gearing up for a hold-in, he is missing the key component that enables players to achieve their goals. 

Team insider Ray Fittipaldo recently appeared on an episode of The North Shore Drive podcast, where he believes Porter does not have the leverage Watt and Heyward held. 

"Probably not as strong as those guys, but I would say approaching that. You go back to Heyward coming off a first-team All-Pro season in 2019; he had tons of leverage in that situation," Fittipaldo stated. "TJ Watt in 2021 again, you know, multi-first-team All-Pro in several seasons leading up to that. Joey Porter isn't that, but I think everyone would agree he's probably, you know, a top 12, top 15 corner in the NFL right now."

Porter is a rising star currently in the NFL, but he hasn't yet earned any individual accolades. The former Penn State Nittany Lion is one of the best man-to-man cornerbacks in the NFL with underrated tackling skills. He may lack ball production, with only three career interceptions, but he keeps the ball out of the other team's wide receivers' hands, which may be more important. 

The Steelers have been known to give in o their players, and there's no reason to believe the situation will be any different. Porter is nearing elite status and plays one of the most important positions in the league. If there was ever a time for Khan and the front office to give in and potentially overpay for a player, this is the time. 

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One of the positions the Steelers have struggled to find consistency with in recent history is cornerback. Now, Pittsburgh has one who's borderline elite, along with Super Bowl champion Jamel Dean. Porter had penalty issues in the pas,t but cleaned them up leading into 2026, posting one of the best coverage seasons in the NFL a year ago. 

The Steelers have the next potential superstar at cornerback waiting on an extension. If they can not get him locked down for the foreseeable future, it will be a pretty bad look for the franchise. 

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