The Pittsburgh Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. are running out of runway, and the clock is now the biggest factor in the contract talks.
With Week 1 looming against the Atlanta Falcons, the team’s self-imposed cutoff is close. The Steelers do not negotiate with players once the season starts, so if a long-term deal is going to happen this offseason, it has to get done before that opener. If not, both sides will have to wait until next spring to revisit it.
Right now, the mood around the talks is anything but clean. The negotiations have been wrapped in chaos, drama and a steady stream of headlines for weeks, and the latest read on the situation doesn’t sound especially encouraging. There’s been chatter that Porter Jr. still hasn’t received a formal offer, while the Steelers apparently don’t believe a deal will be reached before their deadline.
That said, there is clearly more going on than the public noise suggests. Inside the building, the Steelers know numbers have been discussed, and Porter and his agent are aware of a contract framework the team is comfortable with. The issue is that Pittsburgh does not usually move far from its opening position, which leaves little room for the sides to close the gap.
The most likely shape of the disagreement seems straightforward enough: the Steelers’ number is probably under $30 million per year and $60 million guaranteed, while Porter’s camp is believed to be looking for more on both fronts.
Still, this is the Steelers, and history says nothing is truly over until the last minute. Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt both signed their deals in the final days before the regular season in recent years, which is the clearest reminder that these talks can flip fast when the deadline gets tight.
So while the current outlook looks cloudy, a deal is far from impossible. Porter could adjust his asking price.
Pittsburgh could decide to make a late push. Or both sides could find enough middle ground to get something done at the buzzer.
For now, it’s crunch time. And in this kind of negotiation, that means anything can still happen.
In Other News...
Steelers Passing Game Suddenly Faces A Week 1 Concern
The Steelers passing game entered the final stretch of training camp with an unexpected obstacle, as DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. both missed nearly all of camp because of undisclosed injuries. For a group that was supposed to help give the offense a different look, the lack of reps matters, especially this close to the season opener against the Falcons. Timing, chemistry and route feel are hard to fake in September, and Pittsburgh now has to sort through how much of that can be rebuilt in a hurry.
Mike Tomlins offense may have to lean more on less experienced receivers and other pieces around the passing game if Metcalf and Pittman are not fully ready. That creates a different kind of Week 1 question for the Steelers, one with implications beyond a single game: whether the group can function well enough early on to keep the offense on schedule while its top names catch up on the work they lost in camp. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Face A Week 1 Problem They Werent Supposed To Have
The Steelers are heading into Week 1 with an unusual amount of uncertainty on the other sideline. Atlanta still has not named a starting quarterback for its opener in Pittsburgh, with the Falcons weighing Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. as the regular season approaches. Penix has only recently been cleared for full practice after a knee injury, while Tagovailoa has taken the lead in preseason work.
For Pittsburgh, the issue is less about which name is eventually announced than the preparation problem that comes with not knowing. The Falcons are the only team in the league without a starter set entering the regular season, which leaves the Steelers waiting on a key detail that should have been settled long before opening weekend. That kind of uncertainty can change how a defense studies film, plans its pressures and spends the final days before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Just Got A Familiar WR Safety Net Before Week 1
The Giants decision to release Darius Slayton right before the season opener immediately puts a familiar name back on the market for teams still looking for receiver help. For the Steelers, it is the kind of roster twist worth watching, since they have kicked the tires on Slayton before and remain in the kind of spot where added depth at wide receiver never hurts.
Slayton brings a long track record of NFL production, with 296 catches, 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns across 106 games. Whether Pittsburgh turns that past interest into a real pursuit now is the open question, but a veteran pass catcher with that kind of experience suddenly available always has a way of drawing attention this close to Week 1. [Read more 🡒]