The Steelers’ standoff with Joey Porter Jr. may have been nudged along by a familiar face in Cleveland.
Pittsburgh and the cornerback are reportedly at an impasse on a contract extension, and the situation has started to look messy. Porter, the former second-round pick, could even end up on the trade block if he keeps pushing for a major payday. And in a twist that should make Browns fans smile a little, Denzel Ward’s latest deal may have helped set that market pressure in motion.
Cleveland handed Ward a two-year, $62.2 million extension after Myles Garrett’s departure sparked plenty of trade speculation. The 29-year-old is now the NFL’s second-highest-paid cornerback by average annual value, trailing only Devon Witherspoon.
That kind of money matters. Porter is set to make about $3.9 million in base salary this season, so Ward’s extension - along with Witherspoon’s contract - only sharpens the gap between what he’s making now and what he’s apparently seeking next. If Pittsburgh was already reluctant to commit to a deal north of $30 million per year, those recent cornerback paydays didn’t make the decision any easier.
So the Steelers are staring at two paths: meet Porter’s financial demands, which doesn’t seem likely right now, or move him and see what kind of trade market develops. There’s always demand for starting-caliber cornerbacks, but Pittsburgh shouldn’t expect a monster haul.
Sauce Gardner brought back two first-round picks and a player. The Los Angeles Rams had to part with four draft picks, including a first-rounder, to get Trent McDuffie. Porter, by comparison, isn’t in that tier.
A second-round pick might be the best the Steelers can reasonably hope for. Still, if they’re deciding where to put their long-term money, the smarter move may be to lock up the players they already know they want to keep.
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Browns Look Smarter For Moving On From Wyatt Teller
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Tellers early days in Houston have only made Clevelands decision look a little more reasonable. His recent performance grades have slipped, and during Texans preseason action he has already been pushed into a backup role, a notable turn for a player who used to be a fixture in the Browns lineup. For Cleveland, the switch is less about nostalgia and more about whether the new look up front can hold its own without looking back. [Read more 🡒]