The corner back market has exploded over the last few months. Just in the past 24 hours the Cleveland Browns extended Denzel Ward, making him the highest paid corner in the league at $31.5 million per season. That contract represents the floor of what Porter Jr’s representation will now be asking for. Anything below $30 million for the Steelers stand out corner is not even a possibility anymore. So the question needs to be asked, is Joey Porter Jr. pricing himself off the Steelers?
Don’t get attached to that $31 per season number either. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was quoted this week saying they intend to make Christian Gonzalez the highest paid corner in the league. That comes on the heels of reports that the Seahawks plan on doing the same for Devin Witherspoon. The $31 per season is going to move to $32-$34 million per very soon.
Joey Porter Jr’s agents have every right to demand close to, if not more than those two players. JPJ has not given up a touchdown in his entire career if you believe the sources. He is coming off his best season as a pro, and is about to enter the prime of his career at only 26 years old. Omar Khan may be able to negotiate off paying the absolute top of the corner money, but not by much. Best case scenario for the Steelers is somewhere between $30-$32 million per season at this point.
The real sticking point in this deal will be guaranteed money in the contract. The Steelers have a long standing policy of not giving any guarantees past year one of contracts accept for quarterbacks. They did break that policy with TJ Watt’s latest deal. Watt is a far more accomplished player than Porter Jr however. We’d be hard pressed to believe they will do so in this case, which will make this a very difficult negotiation.
Then there’s the not so small issue of the Steelers salary cap situation in 2027. Pittsburgh is currently under the cap by roughly $5 million. Of course, no one really knows the cap number for next season so that probably goes up, but not significantly enough for the Steelers needs. Omar Khan will face some difficult decisions if/when he gets a massive Joey Porter Jr deal done. Players like DK Metcalf, Patrick Queen, and Alex Highsmith may all have to be sacrificed in this scenario.
At what point do the Steelers say to themselves $32 plus million is just too much? Joey Porter Jr is a very good corner, not an elite game changing type of player. The Steelers are faced with having to pay him as such because of the circumstances they face. Paying good players elite money is how franchises get themselves in cap trouble. Omar Khan made his bones as a cap specialist. He’s going to have to pull some salary cap magic to make this all work for the Steelers and Joey Porter Jr.