Steelers' AFC Rival Has Executive Completely Devalue Joey Porter Jr's Worth

The Pittsburgh Steelers have never been shy about rewarding guys who have performed while on their rookie contracts. That was very evident when a trio of individuals from the 2023 NFL Draft class received extensions during the 2026 offseason. That would normally be something to celebrate, but there is an overarching issue that remains with the team's Week 1 matchup occurring on Sunday. Joey Porter Jr. had a career year in 2025; however, the organization doesn't seem ready to pay him quite yet. He has not gotten a new deal, and it surely has stirred up some controversy. 

Behind the scenes discussions could probably paint a much clearer light on why the Steelers' brass has yet to give the cornerback a fair and reasonable offer. The front office does not negotiate this type of business once the regular season begins, so there is a possibility that Pittsburgh is choosing to potentially slap Porter with the franchise tag come 2027. That is currently slated to be roughly $23-24 million.

It's always good to get a different perspective on these kinds of situations, particularly from those who are not biased about what is going on. That's why a recent article published by The Athletic's NFL insider Jonathan Jones should garner some attention from Steelers fans. He went into detail about what is happening with Pittsburgh and one of its best defenders.

Quoting an anonymous rival AFC executive, Jones wrote that Porter's camp may be valuing him too high. It was noted that guys like Pat Surtain II and Jaycee Horn are better overall, who are currently making $24 and $25 million on an annual basis, respectively.

"“Is Joey Porter as good as maybe he values himself as?” an AFC executive asked. “I would assume he wants to be around Surtain/Horn, maybe even higher. And he isn’t to that level of a player."

There was even speculation from this executive that the Steelers could forfeit the franchise tag altogether and simply let Porter walk in 2027. That would be shocking, but it's not out of the question.

"“Maybe (the Steelers) are willing to take the comp pick or franchise-tag versus committing to a likely overpay.”"

Lastly, there was a very interesting synopsis from Jones about what else the AFC front office member said. There is something that is dragging Porter down, even if he was better in this area in 2025.

"The exec pointed to Porter’s penalties as one reason he doesn’t consider him among the league’s best corners," Jones wrote. "Porter leads defenders in coverage penalties over the last three seasons. He had 16 coverage penalties (pass interference or holding) in 1,592 coverage snaps. The next-closest defender had 13."

While the statistics are true, they are a bit skewed. He was flagged just nine times in 2025, which was by far the best mark of his career. He clearly has improved in that category, and will look to do so even more going forward.

It's unfortunate that the Steelers haven't been able to extend Porter up until the Saturday prior to the organization's first meaningful contest. Even if something were to get done, the analysis from the AFC executive is notable. There are some around the league that appear to agree with Pittsburgh's tough approach to this during the course of the 2026 offseason. New deal or not, the cornerback will have a ton of pressure to prove his worth during the course of the campaign.

Steelers Have Some Backup When It Comes To Porter's Worth

It is likely that if one anonymous executive has these beliefs, that others do, too. Pittsburgh does have a very solid cornerback in Porter, but he just might not be at the level that he believes he is regarding pay. The NFL is a business, and no ancestral line is going to make general manager Omar Khan cave during negotiations. Penalties and a lack of accolades post-season seem to be just a couple of the things factoring into the Steelers' apparent tough approach to his situation.

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