Surprising Extension Could Be Coming For the Steelers With Joey Porter Jr Injured

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have officially hit an odd point in negotiations with Joey Porter Jr. The former second-round pick is due for an extension, and deserves to be paid relatively well after having a career year in 2025. Despite this, the organization has a ton of money invested on the defensive side of the ball, and the big men up front on offense will be due for some new contracts come 2027. The team is being very cautious with how it approaches this potential deal, but nothing has happened just yet. The cornerback is also not currently practicing during training camp sessions because of an apparent back tweak.

There haven't been too many updates about what could be holding up a Porter extension, but it's possible that the defender wants to be paid $30 million per year, or more. That might not be something that the Steelers are willing to give out given the current cap space outlook for 2027 and beyond. This is where things could get complicated as the regular season approaches.

Two of Porter's 2023 classmates in Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington already took care of their long-term deals. General Manager Omar Khan did a heck of a job that year of stacking the roster with young talent. It hasn't gone to waste, as the majority of the group has acted as a contributor in one way or another. Many fans, however, have seemed to forgotten about another member of that class who quietly had a very productive 2025 campaign.

All eyes are on Porter and what his upcoming deal could look like, but the Steelers could also benefit from locking in a staple on the defensive line. Stopping the run in the NFL is critical, as is getting to the quarterback. Keeanu Benton has developed nicely of late and is another individual who is eligible for a contract if Khan wants to pursue that route.

This situation was brought up in a fan chat that Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted on Tuesday. Someone asked if the Steelers could essentially reward Benton to stick it to Porter.

"Years ago, the Steelers gave AB84 an extension instead of passing it along to Mike Wallace," a fan mentioned. "This is a completely different situation because they are different positions, but could Pittsburgh attempt to extend Benton with Porter talks not going very far?"

While the Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace situation back in 2012 was very fascinating, Dulac didn't want to compare the present day to back then. In fact, he believes the Steelers still want both Porter and Benton as parts of the future.

"Benton was one of the five players the Steelers wanted to extend before the season and that's still the case," Dulac wrote. "And he could get a deal before Porter."

Benton has been lurking in the shadows when it comes to this extension talk. Now, however, a respected insider believes that Porter's deal could be put on hold, and the defensive lineman's could come first.

Pittsburgh never negotiates during the middle of any season, so the front office and anyone desiring an extension need to come to terms within the next six weeks or so. It would be shocking if Porter isn't locked in by then, but it's also possible that Benton is given a payday as well. The Steelers would have a remarkable young core on defense to work with for several years. That is, if Porter and his camp are willing to meet whatever price Khan is willing to pay.

Steelers Would Be Making A Big Mistake Allowing Porter To Walk

While the franchise tag could always be utilized in the 2027 offseason, there is no reason to add stress to the situation. Something needs to happen sooner rather than later. Porter deserves a new deal, and Pittsburgh has plenty of options for opening up future cap space. Additionally, getting a Benton deal done first would also allow the Steelers to work that into the equation when finalizing the cornerback's extension.

#SteelerNation