Steelers Fans Get New Update On Joey Porter Jr Contract With Potential Market Shift

The Pittsburgh Steelers have taken care of two of their 2023 draft picks, rewarding Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington with very nice paydays. Herbig comes as a bit of a gamble, due to his injury history and the crowded positional room. If he can unlock the potential he has shown, it could be one of the best contracts in the NFL in three years. Washington has proven that he is one of the most important pieces on the offense, being one of the best run blockers in the league as well as a reliable pass-catcher. With those two locked up for the future, Joey Porter Jr. still awaits his compensation, and his may be the most important. 

Porter was up and down in his first two seasons, with good play but he was flagged for a ton of penalties. In 2026, he cleaned up that mess, going from 12 penalties in 2024 to just six in 2025. On top of that, he had his best season as a pro, allowing a passer rating of just 56.2, third in the NFL behind now-teammate Jamel Dean and former teammate James Pierre. Porter doesn't have the ball production that the top cornerbacks do, but he is still lockdown nonetheless.

The longer the hold-up on contract negotiations, the more expensive Porter will become. With players like Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots and Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks looking to reset the market, Porter's price tag will continue to grow. Gonzalez has reportedly been offered a contract that will make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, which is very bad news for the Steelers. 

Team insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently appeared on an episode of Sportsline With George Von Benko, where he gave Steeler Nation some potentially good news on a Porter extension. Fittipaldo believes that even with the young cornerbacks receiving market-setting deals, Porter and the organization will meet in the middle. 

"It's probably gonna be a meeting in the middle; I think $24-25 million is probably the number. He probably wants closer to 30; they probably want closer to 20 again, you meet in the middle," Fittipaldo said. 

Even though he was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in 2025, he was not awarded a Pro Bowl nod or named an All-Pro. He is still searching for his first of each, which does factor into negotiations. Coming off of the only elite season of his career so far, Porter becoming the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history would certainly be a gamble for the Steelers, but it may be a necessary one. 

Cornerback is one of the hardest positions to get right for any organization. The Steelers found an elite cornerback with the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and have since developed him to be the backbone of the secondary. The organization's greatness has always been built on the back of homegrown players, and Porter is no different. If it wants any future playoff success, Porter will have to be in the equation. 

Steelers' Porter Could Have Tons Of Pressure In 2026

If the front office and porter can find a middle ground between $20 million and whatever the market shakes out to be, that will put the Steelers in a much better spot financially; and, it takes pressure off of Porter. However, if Porter ends up becoming the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, that puts immense pressure on the former Penn State Nittany Lion. He will have to show he was worth the risk, likely with a Pro Bowl and All-Pro, which he still hasn't earned yet. 

That may also apply pressure on his ball production, which may be his biggest flaw. With only three interceptions in his career, Porter will have to up his takeaway total as well if he ends up with $30 million+. Omar Khan is in a very tough spot, but he must make a decision: either make Porter play out his final season, or secure him now and live with what comes after.

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