Mike Florio didn’t mince words about the Steelers’ stance on Joey Porter Jr.’s contract situation. In his view, Pittsburgh is boxing itself into a corner by sticking to a policy that shuts down negotiations once the regular season starts.
The Pro Football Talk analyst called the team’s approach “outdated and ill-advised” while discussing the uncertainty around Porter, who is heading into the final year of his rookie deal. Florio’s main gripe was simple: the Steelers are choosing to give up leverage that other teams keep in their back pocket.
“This just underscores the fact that the Steelers' outdated and ill-advised policy toward contracts not completed by Week 1 is going to bite them in the ass on this if they don't get a deal done with Joey Porter,” Florio said.
He pressed further on the logic behind Pittsburgh’s hard line.
“Why are you tying a hand behind your back?” Florio said.
“Why are you removing a tool that all the other teams have? You self-handcuff yourself.”
Porter added more uncertainty Tuesday when asked whether he would suit up in Week 1 without a new contract. He did not give a firm answer, saying he would need to talk it over with the team and his agents.
That uncertainty matters because the Steelers are staring at a tight timeline. They open against the Falcons on Sept. 13, and Pittsburgh has said it will not negotiate with Porter once the regular season begins.
Florio said that if the deal drags past Week 1, the Steelers could find themselves with nowhere good to turn.
“If this isn't done by Week 1, and he says he's not going to play, there aren't a lot of options, and none of them are good at that point,” Florio said.
Porter’s status remains unsettled, even after he was activated from the physically unable to perform list and took part in Tuesday’s walk-through. He said the situation has been difficult, though he also pointed to the support he’s getting from coaches and teammates inside the facility.
For Florio, the bigger issue is the Steelers’ refusal to keep talking while the games begin. He sees the policy itself as the problem, and he thinks the clock is close to running out.
“I feel like this thing is ticking toward threat level midnight,” Florio said. “I think they're going to have an issue.”
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