The cornerback market has taken another jump, and Joey Porter Jr. is now staring at a price tag that keeps getting steeper.
In the early morning hours Tuesday, the New England Patriots and Christian Gonzalez agreed to a record-setting four-year, $135 million extension with $102 million guaranteed, according to insider Jordan Schultz. The deal pushes the top of the market higher just before the Patriots’ season opener and gives Gonzalez the new standard at the position.
At $33.75 million per year, Gonzalez now sits above Devon Witherspoon, the Seahawks cornerback and fellow 2023 draftee who had held the previous high mark at $33 million annually earlier this offseason.
That leaves one major unresolved cornerback situation from the 2023 draft class: Pittsburgh and Joey Porter Jr.
The Steelers and Porter are still in an “ impasse.” Pittsburgh has stayed firm on its long-standing approach of not negotiating with players during the regular season, while Porter has not ruled out missing games if he does not get a new deal by Week 1. With the Steelers set to open the season Sunday, Sept. 13, the time left for a deal this offseason is running out fast.
Porter is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he’s made clear he wants to be paid like the high-end CB1 he became last season. The question now is whether he is aiming to set the cornerback market himself or simply land in the upper tier of the position.
One detail that matters: Porter is represented by Win Sports Group, the same agency that handled the record-setting Gonzalez and Witherspoon contracts.
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Mason Rudolph is currently the primary backup behind the Steelers' starter, but the problem is finding a team willing to make a deal. The backup quarterback market is reportedly crowded, which has made it harder for Pittsburgh to line up a trade partner, even with Rudolph's experience and the fact that he has bounced between contracts with the Steelers and other franchises over the years. [Read more 🡒]
Joey Porter Jr. Trade Pressure Just Got More Real For Steelers Fans
The contract clock is starting to matter for Joey Porter Jr., and the Steelers are acting like they know it. Pittsburgh still has not extended the cornerback, and that alone has kept his future in the spotlight as training camp questions keep piling up around one of the teams most important defensive pieces.
Dallas has only turned up the heat on the speculation. The Cowboys cleared significant salary cap space and owner Jerry Jones said the club is open to trades, especially on defense, which has naturally put Porters name into the conversation even without any confirmed pursuit. For the Steelers, the more immediate concern is practical: they are already preparing for the possibility that Porter could sit out the season, with a contingency plan mapped out on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Quarterback Decision Just Sparked A Real Roster Debate
Kenny Picketts recent conversation with Cam Heyward offered a rare peek into how the Steelers are sorting through one of the more unusual roster wrinkles of the summer. The decision to keep four quarterbacks on the roster has naturally created some debate, but Pickett framed it less as a logjam and more as a reflection of how much depth Pittsburgh has built at the position, with Mason Rudolphs preseason showing helping clarify the pecking order behind the top spot.
Pickett also made a point of backing the younger passers in the room, speaking positively about second-year quarterback Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar. In a league where quarterback rooms can turn brittle fast, the Steelers suddenly have a group that looks competitive, experienced, and a little crowded, which is exactly why this storyline will keep lingering as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]