Joey Porter Jr. may have a lot of football left in front of him, but his time in Pittsburgh is suddenly looking a lot less certain.
The Steelers cornerback was inactive for Sunday’s season-opening win over the Falcons because of a back injury, and even once he’s healthy, there’s still no guarantee he’ll be back in black and gold. Porter and the Steelers have not been able to work out a contract extension, and ESPN’s Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported that an “early-season trade is possible.”
Porter is only 26, and he still looks like the kind of defensive back who can go toe-to-toe with the league’s best receivers. That makes him a real trade chip, but Pittsburgh isn’t about to move him cheaply. According to Rapoport and Schefter, the Steelers would want a “premium draft pick” in return.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler identified five teams that could make sense if Pittsburgh decides to deal him: the Cowboys, Lions, Saints, Jets and 49ers.
Dallas stands out because the Cowboys and Steelers have already done business together recently. Fowler pointed to the relationship between the two front offices, writing, “The franchise has trade-market rapport with Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan,” and noting, “The sides have reached deals in back-to-back offseasons, as Dallas traded for wide receiver George Pickens in May 2025 and offensive tackle Broderick Jones on Aug. 29.
"Dallas did not discuss Porter with Pittsburgh at the time of the Jones trade. But that would be an easy call for the Cowboys to make if interested."
San Francisco also has a clean path to making a move. Fowler highlighted the 49ers’ financial flexibility, pointing out that they have more than $45 million in cap space.
He also said the fit on the field would be obvious, writing, “The 49ers' cornerback rotation looked stout Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams, but seasons are long and Porter would help the defense immensely. ... Porter opposite Deommodore Lenoir would form a stout 1-2 cornerback combo,” Fowler wrote.
For now, Porter is still a Steeler. But if this situation keeps trending the way it has, Pittsburgh fans could be watching him in a different uniform before long.
In Other News...
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Youngs stance also says plenty about the culture the Saints are trying to build in the locker room. The losses may be part of the process, but the expectation inside the building is to compete for actual wins, not lessons wrapped in positives. In that sense, Youngs comments were less about one game than about the kind of accountability this group wants to carry forward. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Just Got Pulled Into A Notable Joey Porter Jr. Rumor
A fresh round of trade chatter has pulled the Saints into the Joey Porter Jr. conversation, with the Steelers cornerback now linked to several teams as his long-term future in Pittsburgh remains unresolved. For New Orleans, the rumor lands in a familiar place: a club that is always watching for help in the secondary and now finds itself mentioned alongside the Cowboys, Bears, Panthers, Giants and Packers in a possible market that could eventually open up.
For now, though, the noise seems to be running ahead of the reality. The Steelers are expected to have options to keep Porter in place, and a 2026 trade is viewed as unlikely if Pittsburgh chooses the franchise tag route and pushes the contract issue down the road. Still, the Saints being part of the discussion is a reminder that whenever a young defensive back with talent and no extension gets unsettled, New Orleans tends to wind up on the short list of teams worth monitoring. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Head To Baltimore With One Officiating Concern Looming
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Last season, Blakemans group was one of the quickest to flag penalties and finished fifth in total fouls, a profile that can shape how a game flows long before the fourth quarter. For a Saints team heading into a tough road environment, the officiating assignment is one more detail worth watching as the matchup unfolds. [Read more 🡒]