Behind The Scenes Details Of Steelers' Negotiations With Joey Porter Jr On Game Day Are Exposed

The Pittsburgh Steelers began their 2026 season on Sunday as the team took down the Atlanta Falcons. A strong defensive performance propelled the group to a victory, and that was impressive considering the defense was without two starters in the secondary. Safety DeShon Elliott is beginning the season on injured reserve and he won't be available until Week 5, while Joey Porter Jr. also did not play in the game. He was in the middle of a contract dispute with the organization, and he is also working his way back from a back injury that kept him sidelined throughout all of training camp.

It was up in the air whether or not Porter would be taking the field on Sunday, but it was announced 90 minutes before the game that he would be inactive for the contest. Time will tell if he will take the field soon as he has been a limited participant in practice ever since returning from his back injury, but fans want to see him on the field for the Week 2 matchup with the New England Patriots. 

The Steelers do not conduct contractual business once the regular season begins, which means the contest against the Falcons was a hard deadline to get an extension done with Porter. That didn't happen, which makes this situation complicated. He could be traded elsewhere, or he could decide to play for Pittsburgh in 2026 regardless. Team insider Brooke Pryor gave some insight to the matter during an appearance on Good Morning Football on Wednesday.

"I'm told the Steelers were having conversations with his side trying to negotiate a last-minute deal all the way up until Sunday morning," Pryor said. "Nothing got done. Porter was inactive and that was mostly a byproduct of the conditioning because he sat out for all of training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list."

Porter was put on the PUP the day before the Steelers' first training camp practice, and he was not activated off of the PUP until the day that 53-man rosters were finalized. He returned to practice shortly after in a limited capacity due to his back injury, but there is no real way to tell if an injury like that is real or if everything is just contract related.

The Steelers and Porter's team were in negotiations through Sunday morning, which means the two sides were talking probably when players were arriving at Acrisure Stadium to get ready for the contest. Ultimately no deal was agreed to, but it shows that both sides were interested in getting something done. Hopefully that is still the case, and hopefully the organization considers making an exception to its prehistoric rule of not doing contracts in season. 

Pryor's report also indicates that Porter's absence from the game was strictly related to his lack of conditioning after missing all of camp with his injury.

Steelers Trading Joey Porter Jr. Would Be A Mistake

Dealing Porter would likely be a mistake for Pittsburgh, due to the future outlook of the cornerback position on the team. Jamel Dean is going to be 31 next year and he has missed 14 games since the start of the 2022 season. Jalen Ramsey is pretty much a safety and he might be a cap casualty during the 2027 offseason. Asante Samuel Jr. would be thrust into more playing time without Porter, and if he has a great season he is going to hit the open market. He is on a one-year deal and already missed out on free agency once due to his back injury, so he is going to want to start a bidding war in free agency if he has a good year. Daylen Everette and Donte Kent are the other cornerbacks under contract for the 2027 season. 

The Steelers need Porter. If not for this season, for the future.

What do you think about this report from Pryor? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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