Steelers Appear To Send Alarming Message About Joey Porter Jr's Value

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached an uncomfortable stage in their contract negotiations with Joey Porter Jr. The two sides remain separated on an extension, and insider Mark Kaboly revealed that the organization may still have questions about whether its 26-year-old cornerback deserves top-tier money.

Porter believes he belongs among the NFL's top two or three players at his position. That confidence is not surprising. He has consistently embraced difficult assignments and already views himself as one of the foundational pieces of Pittsburgh's defense.

The more concerning development is that the Steelers apparently are not prepared to share that evaluation yet. During a Monday appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Kaboly explained why Pittsburgh may want more evidence before committing approximately $30 million annually to Porter.

"He thinks he is a top two or three corner, but they don't necessarily know that yet," Kaboly said. "They would love to see Joey come in with the new coaching staff, work some things out and at least get up to speed with that before they would possibly invest that type of money into him."

That explanation should immediately capture the attention of Steeler Nation. Pittsburgh has already extended Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington and Keeanu Benton despite Mike McCarthy bringing an entirely different coaching staff into the building.

The organization decided it had seen enough from those three players under the previous regime to make substantial long-term investments. Benton became the latest member of Pittsburgh's 2023 draft class to receive an extension when the Steelers officially announced his new five-year contract.

Porter should not require an entirely new evaluation process simply because McCarthy and Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham were not responsible for drafting him. The Steelers brass have three complete seasons of NFL evidence to study. They know his strengths, weaknesses, personality and potential better than any outside organization. Franchise cornerbacks entering their prime rarely become available. When an organization believes it has one, the normal response is to secure that player before the price climbs or another club receives an opportunity to bid.

However, Kaboly also presented the important piece of information missing from the public conversation. Nobody outside the negotiations knows exactly how much Porter and his representatives are demanding.

"Here's the problem with this," Kaboly said in response to the pushback. "It's incomplete information. We don't know how much JPJ wants. If it somehow leaked that he wants to be the highest-paid corner in the league, I'm not saying that's what it is, but if it leaked, what would your reaction be? No, I'm not doing it. That's what I'm saying. We're making these assumptions off of stuff we don't know yet."

That distinction is fair. There is a considerable difference between Porter requesting a contract around $28 million or $30 million per season and demanding that Pittsburgh reset the entire cornerback market.

McCarthy has already acknowledged that Pittsburgh and Porter are at an impasse. The cornerback also remains on the physically unable to perform list with a back issue, creating even more uncertainty with the regular season approaching. McCarthy has said he wants an opportunity to coach Porter, but the business situation currently complicates that process.

Steelers Should Already Know Joey Porter Jr.'s True Value

Wanting the new staff to evaluate Porter is understandable, but that cannot become an excuse for unnecessarily delaying a critical extension. General Manager Omar Khan and the front office possess years of film, internal evaluations and firsthand information about the cornerback.

Porter's leverage may have weakened because Pittsburgh can let him play the final year of his rookie contract and potentially use the franchise tag afterward. That path would force him to accept the injury risk of playing without the long-term security he wants.

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