The Steelers And Joey Porter Jr May Have Seriously Burned Their Bridge Over 1 Simple Reason

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been at a crossroads with cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who has recently taken another turn. On Thursday, Porter was expected to do more in practice after being limited on Wednesday, but he left during the open media portion with the athletic trainer. Now with the trip to New England just days away, Porter's status is still up in the air, and chances are not looking good for the cornerback to be on the field come Sunday. 

Porter was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start training camp with a back injury and missed all of camp and the preseason, but was recently noted on the injury report as non-injury-related for conditioning purposes. On Thursday's injury report, the back injury was listed again, and with his sudden exit from practice, things appear to be heading in the wrong direction. 

It was reported that the former Penn State standout had requested a trade due to unhappiness with the contract negotiations. The cornerback is arguably not willing to suit up without security for his future. Still, one NFL insider believes Porter would be willing to play for another team, regardless of his contract. 

Ari Meirov recently did a show where he discussed some important questions throughout the NFL. On whether the Steelers can afford to trade the disgruntled cornerback, he said Porter is unhappy with the organization and questioned whether he still wants to be in the Steel City. Meirov also notes that if the Steelers do trade Porter, a contract won't be necessary.

"If they do trade him, by my understanding, a contract will not be necessary," Meirov explained. "I don't think a contract will be a must over here. I think he's willing to play it out; I just don't think he wants to be in Pittsburgh anymore with the way all of this happened. And the policy of they're not going to negotiate anymore, so that's done. I think he's just over the entire situation."

The Porter sweepstakes have gone on all summer long, and the assumption was always that a deal would get done. Now it appears the cornerback could have legitimately played his last snap in the Black and Gold. If Porter is truly willing to play the season without an extension, but not with the Steelers, the bridges are likely completely burned, and they will be forced to trade him. 

The trade market is reportedly not hot for the rising star, and teams haven't been calling. His value on the trade market is unclear with the season already underway and the future uncertain. The Steelers may not get the return they had originally hoped for, but if the cornerback holds out for the season, they may have no choice but to cut their losses and move on. 

Now attention shifts to Jamel Dean and Asante Samuel Jr., both well-established NFL veterans. Dean and Samuel are likely to start the rest of the season after Meirov's news and will have to be the backbone of the Steelers' secondary. Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has already started to call plays that reflect life without Porter, with heavy zone coverage in Week 1.  

Steelers May Need To Start Looking For Cornerbacks In 2027

With Porter potentially playing his last snap as a Steeler, a new hole opens up in the secondary. Dean and Samuel are solid players, but their future is shaky. Dean is 29 and has had injury problems, and Samuel is coming off recent neck surgery and hasn't had much NFL action over the last year. Rookie Daylen Everette is a nice project for Graham and the staff to work on, but perhaps more insurance would suffice. 

Whether through the NFL Draft or free agency, General Manager Omar Khan may need to take a longer look at the crop of cornerbacks coming in 2027 to fill the hole Porter will leave behind. Hopefully the organization can get things figured out, but cornerback will likely be among the needs next season. 

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