The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a very shaky situation. Star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. appears to be in a massive hold-in, as he missed Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Head Coach Mike McCarthy attributed that to him having no reps in training camp and preseason, since he spent that whole time on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. The coach said that he hopes the corner will play in Week 2 as he is in the "ramp up" stage of the recovery practice, if he was even injured in the first place.
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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.
The rest of the league appears to be sensing something more sinister. There is still the belief that Porter does not want to play due to him being angry about not getting any sort of deal. That has resulted in trade rumors flying everywhere, as multiple reports have come out about teams calling the Steelers to see if they can't acquire the star cornerback to help fix their secondaries.
These rumors may not be as big of a deal as it seems. While making an appearance on Steelers Collective, insider Ray Fittipaldo spoke about where he believes these reports are coming from and why they're coming out now.
"I do think a lot of the trade talk is coming from Joey's reps, and I think they're trying to use that as maybe an impetus to get a trade done, but I don't think the Steelers want to do that," Fittipaldo said. "I think they want Joey Porter to play for them this season."
If Fittipaldo's report is right, Porter's agent is trying to generate trade interest by "leaking" the idea that teams are interested in acquiring his client. If that's the case, it seems unlikely to work. Unless they decide that the former second-round pick will not play in Pittsburgh ever again, the Steelers will most likely keep him around for the rest of the season and reevaluate everything in 2027.
All reports have said that the Steelers have no interest in trading Porter away. Even with all these rumors going around -- whether the agent is making them or not -- it seems like Pittsburgh is standing firm on this. It is expecting the fourth-year player to suit up in Week 2 and beyond while causing no more trouble for the rest of the season. The hope is that he plays out his rookie deal and shuts up.
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Star CB Joey Porter Jr. watches the Steelers' preseason opener during his hold-in at Acrisure Stadium.
Once practice starts up on Wednesday, Porter's status for Week 2 will start to clear up. Until he is officially active and puts on the pads for that game, however, the rumors won't stop. There is one thing that is very clear: he and his agent are beyond angry at General Manager Omar Khan and his staff for waiting so long just to give him an insulting offer that they turned down quickly.
Steelers Are Expected To Continue Insulting Porter
In 2027, the franchise tag for cornerbacks is expected to be $23.1 million. That is way less than what Porter wants per year, especially considering what he is reportedly asking for in guaranteed money. That won't stop the Steelers from slapping that tag on him if he ends up playing in Pittsburgh throughout the rest of the 2026 season. That will likely spark even more drama.
The cornerback market has gotten insane in 2026, as the average annual value (AAV) went from capping out at $25 million to just under $34 million for the position. If the Steelers got this deal done early, they could have gotten Porter to sign for that $23 million AAV mark. Now, this is an increasingly hostile situation that may not get resolved for a long time to come.
What do you think about Porter's agent starting the trade rumors? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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