We are now roughly three weeks away from the start of the NFL season. Steelers star corner Joey Porter Jr. has not participated in any of the team’s offseason activities. After Mike McCarthy announced no more “hold ins” allowed, Porter went down with a mysterious back injury that has kept him sidelined throughout training camp. This is speculated to be a response to Porter’s wish for a contact extension. As we inch closer to the start of the season, one has to wonder should the Steelers preparing for life without Joey Porter Jr?
This contract negation is obviously very complicated. The corner market has exploded in the last few months. It started with Trent McDuffie signing a deal for $31 million per season. Got further complicated by the Browns giving Denzel Ward a deal that pays slightly more at $31.1 per. Now the Seahawks have blown that figure away by giving Devon Witherspoon a deal worth $132 million over six seasons with $60 million worth of guarantees. That’s not even mentioning Robert Kraft has promised to make Christian Gonzales the highest paid corner in the league with his impending deal. If Gonzales deal goes to $34 million, Joey Porter Jr will certainly be asking for at least that, if not more.
These numbers have put the Steelers in quite a bind. They have already committed large amounts of money to the other members of Porter’s draft class. Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington, and now Keeanu Benton have all inked lucrative contract extensions. As we sit today, the Steelers are already over the projected 2027 salary cap by roughy $13 million. The Joey Porter Jr extension continues to get more difficult by the day.
So what makes us think the Steelers are preparing for life without Joey Porter Jr? There are now several rumors the Steelers have been in contact with Green Bay inquiring about corner Carrington Valentine. Valentine is strictly a boundary corner, meaning he wouldn’t be a hedge for the Jalen Ramsey injury. Why would the Steelers be shopping for a corner unless they have real concerns over a potential hold out from their star corner? It’s the only explanation that makes any sense.
Between the Steelers choosing to lock up most of their 2023 draft class before JPJ, and now the team sniffing around for starting corners, the evidence is becoming hard to ignore. The Steelers are preparing themselves for life without Joey Porter Jr. Maybe just for the shot term, buying themselves time to get a massive contract done. Or maybe for the long term where they need to trade their star corner before they lose him after the 2026 season. Either way the evidence is clear that Joey Porter Jr is pricing himself close to where the Steelers are forced to make a really tough decision. This is something to keep a very close eye on in the coming weeks.