The Pittsburgh Steelers’ contract standoff with Joey Porter Jr. is starting to sound a lot more serious than a routine preseason wrinkle.
On Tuesday, Porter left the door open to sitting out the Steelers’ Week 1 home game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13 if he still does not have a new deal. Asked whether he would play if no extension was signed, Porter first said, “Yeah, for sure,” before adding, “Maybe.”
That uncertainty landed after a summer in which Porter spent most of August on the physically unable to perform list. He reportedly aggravated a back injury on the first day of training camp, and according to Alan Saunders of Steelers Now, Porter said he was back on the practice field Tuesday. He also said the back issue was the reason he had not been practicing during the preseason.
The timing matters because the Steelers have already made their stance clear. On Monday, general manager Omar Khan said the team’s policy of stopping contract talks once the regular season begins was “going to remain in place.” Khan also said the Steelers expected Porter to be practicing after coming off the PUP list.
Porter’s comments suggested the sides are still nowhere near a clean resolution. It is still unclear exactly what he is seeking in an extension, though he reportedly does not expect to become the league’s highest-paid cornerback. Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks reset that market in August with a four-year, $132M deal.
Porter described the process as difficult, but not entirely isolating.
“It’s been tough, not going to lie,” Porter added about his situation, per Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. “This is my first go-round with this, but it’s also been great because I have all my guys with me.
All the coaches and players are really on my side, and they understand everything about the business side of things. It’s not really too much to go about; it’s been a little bit tough, but at the end of the day it is what it is.”
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy had already framed the situation as a complicated one last week, saying it is “a challenge for both Joey and us because we're first-year staff.” Porter then made it sound as though McCarthy understands the possibility that he could be unavailable unless an extension is reached by Sept. 13.
“I really can’t speak too much to the future, but today I was out there, running with the guys, still trying to get back fully, but we’re going to try to take it day by day for the most part, and that’s the same page me and coach have been on so far,” Porter explained, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
For now, the message is plain: if the Steelers want Joey Porter Jr. on the field against the Falcons, the next couple of weeks may decide whether they need to back it up with a contract.
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