The Detroit Lions have reportedly already checked in with the Pittsburgh Steelers about Joey Porter Jr., adding another layer to a cornerback situation that’s drawn plenty of attention since the season opened.
NFL reporter Jeff Risdon said the two sides have been in touch, though he couldn’t say how far those conversations went. “The Joey Porter Jr. trade talks.
I can tell you that I know that the Lions have approached the Steelers. I don't know how receptive the Steelers were.
I don't know what the Lions offered, if anything. I know that they have talked.
I got that from a reliable source from the Pittsburgh side.”
Porter Jr. is believed to be seeking a contract extension that would pay him $30 million or more per year, which adds a major financial wrinkle to any possible deal.
On the trade front, league sources told Lions On SI that Pittsburgh would be interested in a return that could climb as high as two first-round picks. The baseline for serious talks is believed to be one first-round pick and a higher Day 2 selection.
The Steelers also made a notable decision in their season-opener, with new head coach Mike McCarthy choosing not to play the former 2023 second-round pick.
“It was my decision. My concern for Joey, obviously, is to get him to a spot no different than everybody else in training camp.
The first players that go through that first ramp up period that are not ready to go, they don't participate fully in a padded practice," McCarthy explained. "So, I don't really see this any different from that.
Now, it is different that there is a business component to it. So that's, really a whole other topic."
Detroit’s interest lines up with what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported in a trade-fits list that included the Lions among four other teams.
As ESPN put it, “The Lions were looking for corner help even before they released Terrion Arnold in June. Detroit can spend the early weeks of the season evaluating how D.J.
Reed, Keith Abney II, Roger McCreary and others play together. Detroit has ample salary cap space -- around $38 million as of Sunday, according to OverTheCap.com -- but has committed more than $1 billion in extensions for star players, which could lead to a cap crunch very soon.
Detroit also could decide to pay 2027 free agents Sam LaPorta (tight end) and Brian Branch (safety).”
The Lions’ secondary came under heavy scrutiny after the season-opener, when the defense struggled to slow down the Saints. Detroit jumped out to a 21-0 lead, but New Orleans kept chipping away until it managed to tie the game.
Afterward, Dan Campbell said he wasn’t overly worried about the secondary’s performance, while also making clear that the defense still had corrections to make.
In Other News...
Lions Have Clear Risers And One Growing Concern Before Buffalo
The Lions got the kind of win that can strengthen a locker room and sharpen a coaching staffs eye at the same time. After building a 21-point lead and then surviving overtime against the Saints, Detroit had plenty to like from a handful of players who helped steady the finish, including Alex Anzalone, DAndre Swift and Aidan Hutchinson, with several rookies also making useful contributions along the way.
Buffalo is waiting on Thursday night, which means the turnaround is short and the margin for slippage is thinner than usual. A comeback win can buy some goodwill, but the Lions still have a growing concern to sort through before they line up against one of the AFCs tougher opponents, especially after letting a big lead turn into a longer, more stressful afternoon than it needed to be. [Read more 🡒]
Lions May Have Finally Found The Defensive Edge They Needed
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The challenge now is making that edge a weekly identity instead of a promising flash. Detroit still has work to do in the secondary, and the pass rush will not always get to feast the way it did in the opener. But if the Lions can keep forcing quarterbacks off their spots while the back end tightens up, they may have found the kind of defensive formula that changes the tone of their season. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Already Face A Jahmyr Gibbs Problem They Can't Ignore
The Lions spent the offseason reshaping their backfield around Jahmyr Gibbs, moving on from David Montgomery with the idea that Gibbs would become the featured running back. In the opener against the Saints, that plan was on full display, as Gibbs handled a massive share of the offense and turned it into 186 yards from scrimmage while looking every bit like the centerpiece Detroit wants him to be.
The bigger question now is how often that kind of workload can hold up. Dan Campbell acknowledged after the game that what Gibbs took on in the opener may not be something the Lions can ask of him every week, and that leaves Detroit with an immediate depth issue behind him. For a team built to lean on the run, finding a reliable backup plan is no small matter, especially with the season still just getting started. [Read more 🡒]