The Pittsburgh Steelers remain at an impasse with star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. The young defender did not play in the Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and his status for Week 2 against the New England Patriots remains up in the air as he continues to try to return to the field after suffering a back injury right before training camp began. He returned to practice in a limited capacity over the last few weeks, but he has not been a full go quite yet. This has a lot to do with him returning from an injury and getting his conditioning up, but it also has to do with his contract dispute with the organization.
Barry Reeger / Imagn Images
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. during warmups before a home game in 2025.
Porter had the best season of his career in 2025 and he proved that he was one of the best lockdown corners in the NFL. He became eligible for an extension after the season, and he wanted his new contract to reflect the fact that he was one of the better cornerbacks in the entire league. He made it clear he was not trying to become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, but he believes he should be paid near the top of the position group. That is a fact that is hard to argue with after what he put on tape during the 2025 season.
The Steelers do not conduct contractual business during the regular season, so that means there was a hard deadline when it came to negotiations for an extension. That deadline has passed, which has brought up the idea that Porter could be traded elsewhere. Insider Ian Rapoport appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, where he spoke about the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions being potential landing spots.
"Chiefs, we'll see," Rapoport said. "If Delane is hurt, you know, Brett Veach will make a trade. He'll be risky, he will make a trade. Lions lost Terrion Arnold, that would be another one I'd keep an eye on. That's one interesting thing here is we don't know which team is going to lose a corner or have a significant injury, definitely something to keep watching."
The Chiefs played in their first game of the season on Monday night, and rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane started his career off with a bang as he recorded an interception on the first defensive possession of his career. He was later ruled out of the game with a shoulder injury, and that injury could open up a trade possibility between Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Images
Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis during the offseason.
Even if Delane is only out a short period of time the Chiefs might still show some interest in Porter. The Chiefs are starting a whole new secondary compared to the 2025 season, and a lockdown corner might be what the defense needs. The group already showed its defense could be good, but making it better by adding Porter might be something that would interest General Manager Brett Veach. The Steelers probably would not want to deal Porter within the AFC, though.
Rapoport mentioned the Lions as another possibility after cutting Terrion Arnold for his off-the-field issues. Detroit's secondary was a problem during Sunday's narrow win over the New Orleans Saints, and Porter should be considered a potential target for the Lions.
Steelers Should See Plenty Of Interest In Porter
There are plenty of potential contenders that showed weakness in coverage in Week 1. The Chicago Bears are one team that comes to mind. The offense scored 59 points and should be one of the best in the NFL during the 2026 season. However, the defense gave up 37 points, which is going to be a problem in the future. If the Bears want to contend for a Super Bowl, a player like Porter in the secondary might be the key. The Dallas Cowboys could be another team that needs help in the secondary.
What do you think about Porter potentially landing in Kansas City? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
#SteelerNation