Cam Heyward Rips 'Stupid' Franchise Tag on Video After Amid Joey Porter Jr., Steelers Contract Talks

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward expressed his displeasure with the franchise tag as the team continues to negotiate with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. regarding a new contract.

"It's stupid," Heyward told reporters Wednesday. "It hampers players. Why should any team be able to take advantage of a player for one year? It's used in negotiations, and I think between the player options, the franchise tags, the way they control rookies, I think it's kind of backwards."

It's worth noting that Heyward is an executive committee member of the NFL Players Association.

As for Porter, he's searching for a new deal as he's entering the final season of his rookie contract.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday that the Steelers made an offer to Porter in contract discussions, but it was "not good enough for this one to be deemed close."

Pittsburgh has not been willing to negotiate extensions during the regular season, meaning that time is running out for both sides to reach an agreement.

If Porter doesn't receive a new deal, the Steelers will have the opportunity to tag him in 2027 and prevent him from departing in free agency. Once a player is tagged, they'll have until July 15 to sign a long-term contract with their team or else they'll be required to play on the one-year deal unless they hold out.

"We truly want everybody to just be able to maximize what they can do and their potential," Heyward said Wednesday, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "We understand this game isn't for long and every player has to do that. That's just a fact. If you didn't, you'd be a shame on you. You'd be not taking advantage of the opportunity you can, but I wish it would get done earlier. I wish everything was done in February if we could."

Porter is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he racked up 52 tackles to go along with a team-high 14 passes defended.