Steelers Secondary Shake-Up: Contract Talks Loom for Joey Porter Jr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made significant moves to bolster their secondary, bringing in cornerback Jamel Dean and safeties Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage. But the big question lingering in the Steel City is: when will they secure their standout cornerback, Joey Porter Jr., with a long-term contract?
Former Steelers offensive tackle Trai Essex, who knows a thing or two about winning, believes it's time for the Steelers to act. Essex, a two-time Super Bowl champion, argues that locking Porter down now could be a savvy financial move for GM Omar Khan.
“You’ve got to, because you saw what (Trent) McDuffie signed over in L.A., right? He got the big bucks,” Essex pointed out on his podcast.
“So JP is like, ‘OK, OK. You’re gonna wait a little bit longer?
I can wait.’ Because I don’t think there’s any doubt in anybody’s mind that JPJ is a shut-down corner.
And I think you bring in a Jamel Dean to pair up to be the Robin to his Batman because he’s earned that role up to this point."
Essex is referring to the hefty four-year, $124 million deal McDuffie inked with the Rams, highlighting the escalating market for top-tier cornerbacks. Essex’s advice is clear: “Omar, you’ve gotta sign him sooner than later, because he’s only gonna get more and more expensive.”
Porter’s performance last season was impressive, earning a 74.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking him 19th among 114 cornerbacks. With just one year remaining on his rookie deal and a base salary of $2 million next fall, the timing seems right for an extension.
Reflecting on his season, Porter shared a conversation with his father after the Steelers wrapped up their campaign. “He said I made some money last night, but other than that, he said, ‘That’s the way how to end it. You felt how you felt about the Pro Bowls, about the All-Pros, and you really got to put it on TV,’” Porter recounted.
As the Steelers look to the future, securing Porter could be a key piece in maintaining a formidable defense. The clock is ticking, and the stakes are high.