The Pittsburgh Steelers refuse to negotiate player extensions once regular-season football has started. It would be shocking if Joey Porter Jr. ended up signing a new deal for the remainder of the 2026 calendar year. The team's self-imposed deadline passed when a Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons began. Now, there are more questions than answers regarding the cornerback's future. The franchise tag is certainly in play for 2027, as it is expected to be right around $23 million. There has been no clear indication of what will come next, but a trade has not fully been ruled out to this point.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
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.
Players understand that there is a business side to these kinds of negotiations. With that said, feeling disrespected will not get a team anywhere. Porter is one of the best at his position across the league, and deserves to be paid accordingly. He could have theoretically been offered an annual average value of anywhere from $25 to $33 million. Most of the individuals who have knowledge of those talks have not spoken up.
While yearly salary is absolutely something that matters for players, it's not the most important at the end of the day. Guaranteed money is what gives these guys long-term security. Injuries are part of the game, so it is nice to have a sense of comfort when agreeing to a new deal. A fresh report came out on Monday that makes the Steelers look extremely cheap and far from appreciative of Porter.
Frank Michael Smith is the founder of GeoGames, and also hosts a sports podcast. When citing a source, he posted on social media that Pittsburgh and Porter have been nowhere close on the guaranteed cash side of this potential deal. In fact, Smith wrote that the Steelers weren't prepared to come anywhere close to what Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon recently got when they put pen to paper.
"A source close to Joey Porter Jr. just told me the only piece blocking a deal is guaranteed money," Smith reported on X. "In a four-year deal, the Steelers won't commit to anything over $33 million. Porter requested guaranteed cash closer to Gonzalez & Witherspoon. Each received ~$100m."
Smith confirmed to SteelerNation.com that the goal for Omar Khan was to give the defender a four-year deal, but with only $33 million guaranteed. While looking at guys like Gonzalez and Witherspoon, Porter's camp probably laughed at these reported financials. That is a gap of roughly $67 million. The lack of an agreed-upon extension makes complete sense if these were the numbers that were being discussed.
Pittsburgh has not drafted the cornerback position well of late. That's why it seems silly to not get Porter locked in for the long-term future. Apparently, though, the two sides are quite literally nowhere close to agreeing on the most important aspect of this contract.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan stands on the field surface and looks off into the distance as the team participates in a 2026 training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Traditions and rules are meant to be broken. It's always possible that Khan and the Steelers end up caving to Porter despite the season being started. However, the franchise tag is slotted to be lower than expected, which gives Pittsburgh leverage. Overall, the team's defense is so much better with the former second-round selection on the field.
The best thing for Porter to do now is to put his head down and play. If he performs at a high level once again, the franchise tag could simply be a formality once the offseason rolls around. It would hopefully act as a placeholder until a four-year deal would end up getting put into place. Then again, Porter is also likely thinking about the possibility of injury, and not getting a new deal at all.
Steelers Completely Disrespected Porter With Reported Offer
Pittsburgh isn't apparently off by a couple million dollars. Those kind of intricacies can normally be worked out one way or the other. The report from Smith suggests that Khan and Co. truly do not believe Porter is as good as most believe him to be. Contract discussions like this can really turn a player off, and end up fracturing a relationship. Time will tell, but it appears as if this situation is even worse than what meets the naked eye.
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