The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready for their preseason finale on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, but the team probably already has its eyes on the regular season opener on September 13th against the Atlanta Falcons. What the team will look like when that game comes is starting to become clearer, but there are still some things that need to be ironed out before the regular season begins. The coaching staff needs to decide on a starting right guard and right tackle, while the depth chart at some positions also needs to be confirmed. Perhaps the biggest thing is getting Joey Porter Jr. under contract past the 2026 season.
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Pittsburgh Steelers star defenders Joey Porter Jr. (24) and Jalen Ramsey (5) stand on the field as they watch their team workout during a 2026 training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Porter is entering the final season of his rookie deal, and he is awaiting a contract extension from the Steelers. He wants to be paid near the top of the cornerback market which is something the Steelers clearly do not agree with. He held-in throughout the offseason program, and he essentially held-in during training camp as well as he was placed on the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list after aggravating his back the day before camp began.
The Steelers want to win now, and Porter is a big part of that as he is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. It is important that he is on the field for the 2026 season, and coming to an agreement on a deal is a necessity for that to happen. Ian Rapoport reported earlier in the week that the organization hadn't even offered the defender a deal yet, but former executive Doug Whaley took to 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday morning to clear up what that means.
"Now, the report that he hasn't been given an offer, I can believe that," Whaley said. "But that's not a bad thing. I don't think they've typed up a formal offer with a base salary, incentives, this and this and sent it over. They've discussed numbers, that's the question. Have you guys discussed numbers? They've discussed numbers. There's that semantics. They've discussed numbers, I'm not going to give you an offer if we are far off."
The report from Rapoport indicating that the Steelers have not offered a deal to Porter is probably true, but that does not mean that it is just radio silence between the two sides. They are each giving out numbers and negotiating, but the two sides are too far apart for an offer to come into play just yet. That is a bit concerning considering the organization has had the entire offseason to get this deal done.
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Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. during warmups before a home game in 2025.
Porter is probably something near the top of the cornerback market, which would mean he is asking for something over $30 million per season. The franchise isn't going to want to pay that, so it is just going to take a little bit longer for the two sides to meet in the middle. He deserves to get paid, and hopefully something gets done after the preseason comes to a close.
Steelers' New Coaching Staff Probably Isn't Too Happy With Joey Porter Jr.
The Steelers brought in a new coaching staff for the 2026 season, and this group has never coached Porter before. A lot of the members of the staff have probably admired his game from afar, but there are going to be some questions about him fitting into a new scheme. That's why it may have been helpful for Porter if he had gotten out on the practice field for some things during camp, however it is also easy to understand his side of things as he couldn't risk injury.
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