Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Calls Contract Talks 'Old News,' Updates Status amid Back Injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. were unable to come to terms on a new contract ahead of the 2026 campaign, which means the cornerback has shifted his attention to recovering from a back injury.

"It didn't get done," Porter told reporters when discussing the possibility of a new contract Thursday. "It didn't happen. That's really just old news for me now. It's mainly just focusing on what I have ahead of me and getting back to 100 percent."

He also said he "definitely" sees himself playing at some point this season before teammate DeShon Elliott voiced support when Porter was asked if there was any type of rift between him and the team:

Porter is playing on the final year of his deal and is being paid $3.9 million in base salary.

That alone would have made his contract status with the team a major storyline, but the failed negotiations also came during the same offseason the cornerback market was in the headlines with Devon Witherspoon and the Seattle Seahawks (four-year, $132 million) as well as Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots (four-year, $135 million) agreeing to new extensions.

As for Porter, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (h/t Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot) reported the Steelers offered him a deal that would have paid him slightly more than $27 million in 2026. 

However, Dulac previously reported the cornerback wanted at least $30 million a year in average annual salary.

There was no agreement in the offseason, and Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported Pittsburgh had no plans on breaking its "longstanding organizational policy by resuming contract negotiations in-season."

Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported "a trade is not out of the question on this stuff."

At this point, though, Porter didn't seem particularly interested in talking about his contract and instead discussed trying to recover from the back injury that kept him out of the first two games of the season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday the team was "planning" for him to take the field in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, although it depended on his conditioning level and how the back responded since it had "flared up when he's tried to go full speed."

The Steelers could certainly use him on the field, especially in a matchup against Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with Cincinnati. 

But his long-term future with the team will remain a topic until there is some type of resolution.