Steelers' Joey Porter Jr Likely Losing Leverage As Mike McCarthy Is Blown Away By Another Cornerback

The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially started training camp, and as expected, star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has not been participating on the field. He was placed on the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list before practices began, which was the result of him apparently tweaking something in his back. It was already expected that he was going to be holding-in and not actively participating in workouts as he awaits a contract extension, which is something fans should not blame him for.

He deserves to be paid, and shouldn't risk his body in the meantime. He will now likely need to sign a new deal and be cleared to practice and come off of the PUP list in order to return to the field.

The Steelers are prepared for a hold-in with Porter, and it doesn't seem like things are moving in the best direction. The franchise wants him on the field, but the front office brought back Asante Samuel Jr., signed Jamel Dean in free agency, and drafted Daylen Everette in the third round. 

There is young and experienced blood in the cornerback room, which already took some of the leverage away from Porter. Now, any potential advantage is getting smaller as the other cornerbacks are performing well during training camp. Head Coach Mike McCarthy spoke to the media on Friday morning, and he had some praise for the other guys in the room.

Everette was not talked about a bunch after being drafted in the third round back in April, but he impressed throughout the spring. He has now started training camp off hot, and McCarthy has noticed. He got mossed by DK Metcalf in the end zone, but those are the growing pains you can live with. McCarthy also mentioned Samuel, who the Steelers were able to bring back on a one-year deal right before free agency began.

"He's frankly been one of my favorite players since I've arrived here." McCarthy said.

Samuel has flown under the radar over the last 18 months or so, but he has a ton of experience from his time with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was also a very good player in Los Angeles, and he was going to be a coveted free agent going into the 2025 offseason. However, he had to get back surgery, and that derailed things for the young cornerback.

Samuel's recovery carried into the 2025 season, and he was unsigned. He was eventually cleared, and he signed with Pittsburgh for the remainder of the year. He performed well, and then returned on a one-year deal. So far in his first training camp with the Steelers, he has been a ball magnet as he has made countless plays on the football. The ball production is enticing, and that has been one of the main knocks on Porter throughout his first three seasons.

Steelers Are In A Standoff With Porter

Porter and his team are probably waiting until Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon get their extensions done, as each of them could be the NFL's new highest-paid cornerback. Porter won't beat either of their contracts, but that will raise the market value of the position, which will raise his value. The cap also goes up about $20 million a year now, so organizations may be more likely to give out larger contracts to players without the individual accolades like Porter.

The additions of Dean and Everette, along with the recent surge from Samuel should worry Porter a little bit. The Steelers obviously want him on the field as he is a great player, but the team might be proving right now that they are good at cornerback even with him on the sideline and not participating.

What do you think about the recent performance from Everette and Samuel? Could it effect Porter's negotiations? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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