The Steelers have closed the book on their Latrobe stretch of summer, but they’re still carrying one unresolved issue back to their facility: Joey Porter Jr.’s future.
Keeanu Benton’s new four-year, $72 million extension on Friday gave Pittsburgh another young defender locked in for the long haul, following offseason deals for OLB Nick Herbig and TE Darnell Washington. Even with that business handled, Porter remains without a long-term contract, and the cornerback market around the league keeps climbing.
This offseason alone, new deals have landed for Devon Witherspoon, Denzel Ward and Trent McDuffie. Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez is even trying to top Witherspoon’s $33 million-per-year benchmark. Porter isn’t in that stratosphere, but the rising numbers at his position still put pressure on the Steelers to get something done.
One big difference shapes Porter’s situation: unlike Witherspoon and Gonzalez, he was a second-round pick, so his rookie deal doesn’t come with a fifth-year option. That means his contract is set to expire after the 2026 season, giving Pittsburgh a tighter window to settle things before the situation gets messy.
TribLIVE’s Mark Madden says the “assumption is that the Steelers and Porter will reach an agreement just before the season,” though that idea could get shakier as the summer rolls on and kickoff gets closer.
For now, Porter is in the final year of his rookie deal and carries a cap hit of $4.9 million this season, the biggest salary of his career so far. He’s also spent the summer on the physically unable to perform list because of what’s being called a back injury, staying cautious while he waits for the next contract to come into focus.
If the sides don’t reach a long-term agreement, Porter could hit free agency in March. The Steelers would also have the franchise tag as another option.
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