The Seattle Seahawks have already shown they’re not content to head into 2026 with the cornerback room as is. They’ve made inroads toward an agreement in principle with Terrion Arnold, then moved to sign Trevon Diggs, but even that kind of activity doesn’t change the bigger picture: Seattle still needs help at the position.
That’s where Joey Porter Jr. enters the conversation.
Porter is the sort of corner who could clean up a problem in a hurry, and right now he looks like a possible fit for a messy situation in Pittsburgh. He’s on the physically unable to perform list with an injured back, though the explanation around the Steelers is that he wants a contract extension. As a 2023 second-round pick, he doesn’t have a fifth-year option, which leaves Pittsburgh with three real paths: extend him, franchise tag him next year, or let him hit free agency.
There’s also a fourth route, and that’s the one that makes sense if the Steelers decide they’d rather get something back now than deal with the issue later: trade him before the season.
That kind of move isn’t without precedent. In the last calendar year, Sauce Gardner, now of the Indianapolis Colts, and Trent McDuffie, now of the Los Angeles Rams, were both traded by their original teams, the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, for at least one first-round pick. If Pittsburgh were willing to entertain a deal, that’s the neighborhood it would be shopping in.
And if the Steelers are feeling pressure, it’s not hard to see why. ESPN reported that defensive back Jalen Ramsey said, "We need the whole secondary out there. (The Steelers) got to pay Joey Porter."
Linebacker Patrick Queen sounded just as direct. In that same report, he said, "I got my money, so at the end of the day I could only be happy if he gets his.
But he deserves it. We all love Joey.
We still talk to him. He's one of the coolest guys in the locker room.
Easy to get along with. And just watching him from afar, then coming and being his teammate, he's been a baller, and I just hope he gets paid."
Even with Porter dealing with the back issue, the expectation is that this won’t turn into some long-term ordeal. He did report to training camp, which means he can’t be fined, and if he’s claiming injury, the Steelers aren’t supposed to put him on the field.
For Seattle, that creates an opening.
The Seahawks have the draft capital to get involved in a serious way. They’re projected to have as many as 12 picks next year, including projected comp picks from free agents such as cornerback Riq Woolen, who was lost this past offseason. That gives John Schneider room to work, whether it’s a straight-up first-round type of package or something more creative, like a second-round pick in 2027 and a third-rounder in 2028.
Money shouldn’t be the obstacle, either. Over the Cap projects Seattle with $36 million in cap room next year, plus $20 million left in 2026 that would roll over to 2027. And the cap is expected to rise again.
The Seahawks also have a pretty clean runway when it comes to future spending. Several of the players they’ll need to take care of have already been extended, including edge rusher Derick Hall, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Quarterback Sam Darnold doesn’t need a new deal until after the 2027 season.
Porter’s production only strengthens the case. He has a career passer rating allowed of 71.2, and in 2025 that number has dropped to a very sharp 57.2. At 6'2" and 200 pounds, he also fits the kind of body type Mike Macdonald can use in his defense.
Seattle doesn’t just have a reason to call Pittsburgh. It has the pieces to make the call matter.
Adding Porter would give the Seahawks an immediate boost, keep the defense strong into the future, and let them avoid spending draft capital on another corner while focusing on other needs such as edge rusher. For both sides, it’s the kind of move that doesn’t seem to carry much downside.
In Other News...
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For Seattle, that makes Price worth keeping an eye on in a backfield that still feels like its sorting itself out. Training camp is where these things begin to take shape, and when a quarterback is already talking about a young backs adaptability, it usually means the player has done enough to get noticed. The next question is whether that early buzz turns into something more concrete once the pads stay on and the rotation starts to narrow. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suffer Another Brutal Tennessee Setback With Rookie Safety
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For Seattle, the setback landed in a place that already felt familiar after wide receiver Jake Bobo suffered a season-ending knee injury during a joint practice with the Titans. It left the Seahawks dealing with another painful moment tied to the same opponent, and another reminder of how quickly a preseason tune-up can turn into a roster concern. [Read more 🡒]