New NFL Rumors on Joey Porter Jr.'s Steelers Contract Offer Ahead of 2026 Season

There has reportedly been some incremental progress in the contract negotiations between the Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

"This one has a deadline," NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday. "The Steelers will not negotiate with Porter during the season. … I am told, via sources, that the Steelers have made an offer. It is not good enough for this one to be deemed close. But the Steelers are showing a willingness to engage. Which means we've got a couple of days for both sides to figure out what are the right numbers to get the deal done. There is a lot of work to be done, from my understanding."

Pittsburgh opens the season on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons in what will be the final year of Porter's contract with the team if the two sides can't come to terms on a new agreement.

There may also be somewhat more clarity on the process with blueprints in place after the Seattle Seahawks and Devon Witherspoon agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension before the New England Patriots made Christian Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in the league with a four-year, $135 deal, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided an update on the possible financial structure for Porter during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday (h/t Yahoo Sports).

"The market's $34 million," Fowler said. "I never got the sense he was asking for that. … I think he wants to be at the very least adjacent. One thing that's been floated to me is, like, $29-30 million, somewhere in there. It's problematic because he's a year or six months from the franchise tag, which is $23 million, so the Steelers do have leverage here."

Porter may not command quite as much as Witherspoon and Gonzalez, but he is still an important playmaker for the Pittsburgh defense.

The 2023 second-round pick appeared in 14 games last season and tallied 52 tackles, 14 passes defended, one interception and one sack while helping lead the Steelers to the playoffs. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 36th-best of 114 eligible cornerbacks with an overall grade of 67.6.

At just 26 years old, it is reasonable to expect Porter to play at a high level for the immediate future. 

But it remains to be seen where that future will be after this season unless there is an extension in the next couple of days.