The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big question mark looming over the organization as the start of the regular season draws closer: when will star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will be signed to a new extension?
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. stands on the field as he smiles while looking on at the team practicing during a 2025 training camp workout at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Porter Jr., who has not practiced the majority of the summer due to a contract hold-in and being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, is seeking a new deal to become one of the NFL's highest-paid cornerbacks.
Porter Jr. was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State University. His performance went under the radar in his first two seasons in the league until he broke out during the 2025 NFL season in which he played like a true number one, shutdown cornerback. He still has not garnered the praise and recognition he truly deserves as analytics have shown his play was at an All-Pro level last season.
Pittsburgh has not had a cornerback talent this good in several years now, something that a lot of fans and even those within the organization recognize. In a recent interview during Monday's practice, Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey made his thoughts on the situation very clear, as reported on by ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
"They need to pay Joey," Ramsey bluntly stated. "I'm overly in Joey's corner. Joey needs to get compensated for being a valuable part of this secondary, and valuable part of this defense and team."
One of the downsides about Pittsburgh's defensive back room, and the defense in general, is that the group is not getting any younger. Among the presumed starters, Porter Jr. is one of the youngest at age 26. Big-name players such as Ramsey, TJ Watt, and Cameron Heyward are all over the age of thirty, a threshold of sorts when players often begin to decline in production.
On paper, the Steelers' secondary looks stacked and surely has potential to be one of the best during the 2026 NFL season. The group includes Ramsey and Porter Jr., along with new additions, cornerback Jamel Dean, and safety Jaquan Brisker. Safety DeShon Elliott has also returned from an injury suffered last season against the Green Bay Packers and looks ready to provide a boost to the room.
The Steelers Need Joey Porter Jr. Back On The Field
This is subject to change, though, as Porter Jr. remains the most important weapon in this player group. Those close to the team understand the value that he brings to the defense, as highlighted by Ramsey.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Juan Thornhill celebrate after making a stop during Friday Night Lights ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
The cornerback market in the NFL continues to grow more expensive by the day. It is surging past the $30 million per year mark for some of the NFL's most elite cornerbacks. The Seattle Seahawks' Devon Witherspoon currently leads the league after he inked a four-year, $132 million deal, averaging around $33 million annually. Some other elite cornerbacks around the league, like the Cleveland Browns' Denzel Ward and the Los Angeles Rams' Trent McDuffie have recently agreed to deals surpassing the $31 million per year mark. Pittsburgh is going to have to pay Porter Jr. this type of money if they want to lock him up for the foreseeable future. Whether he is worth it or not has been debated by many fans and analysts, but the decision ultimately falls into the hands of Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and the rest of the front office.
The Steelers do have the option to franchise tag Porter Jr. and work together to agree on terms of a deal later on, but fans around the NFL have seen how that usually works out for talented young players seeking a new contract. All in all, Joey Porter Jr. needs to be on the field in Black and Gold this upcoming season if Pittsburgh's defense is going to have a shot at performing at an elite level and leading the team to their first playoff victory in nearly a decade.
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