The Steelers may have a Joey Porter Jr. situation on their hands, and it’s starting to sound like a trade market could form before long.
Pittsburgh is still in the middle of Aaron Rodgers’ farewell tour and trying to handle the season the right way, but one of its biggest defensive pieces remains sidelined. Porter, who the Steelers tried to extend before the season, still doesn’t have a deal, and the relationship appears to have taken a hit.
“Thursday night, some close to the situation sensed a fracture in the relationship between Porter and the organization," ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Brooke Pryor wrote.
The cornerback’s absence hasn’t been just about contract talks, either. Porter has been working through a back injury all summer and into the start of the season, and he still hasn’t made his debut this year. His status for Sunday doesn’t look especially encouraging, either.
“Porter has not played yet this season as he continues a prolonged "ramp-up" process to return from a back injury. He is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals after being limited in practice this week,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote.
That combination of injury uncertainty and unresolved contract business has pushed the situation into trade-watch territory. Schefter reported that both the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have already reached out to Pittsburgh about Porter’s availability.
“A handful of teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, have begun making inquiries about the availability of Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., league sources told ESPN. The Steelers would be willing to listen to trade offers for Porter, according to sources, but they also would want a strong compensation package if they were to deal the fourth-year star,” Schefter wrote.
If the Cowboys got him, their secondary would get a real boost as they try to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. The Lions, meanwhile, may be the more urgent case after losing multiple key players to injuries and opening the season in underwhelming fashion through two weeks.
For now, Pittsburgh sounds willing to wait this out. The Steelers want a specific return for Porter, and if he’s playing the long game while coming back from injury, they may be ready to do the same on the trade front.
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