RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Joey Porter Jr., the son of former NFL linebacker and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Joey Porter, was the Steelers' second-round pick (No. 32 overall) in 2023, and he immediately lived up to the hype.
Yet, despite being widely viewed as one of the best cornerbacks in the game, he enters the final year of his rookie contract without a new deal in place. With multiple top corners having gotten paid in recent months — notably the Seahawks' Devon Witherspoon, the Browns' Denzel Ward, and the Rams' Trent McDuffie — Porter wants his.
Unfortunately, the two sides remain at "an impasse" on a new deal, and Porter has yet to participate in practice during training camp as he awaits a contract. Head coach Mike McCarthy addressed the situation Monday .
"I learned this in my early years as a head coach, you have to separate the business and football," McCarthy said. "Sometimes it's easier than others. This is a challenge for both Joey and us because we're first-year staff. We've seen them play, compete against Joey.
"I would love the opportunity to coach Joey Porter. I know our defensive guys would love the opportunity. So we're at an impasse right here, and you got to respect that. Every one of us has a contract. The organization, they have beliefs and so forth. But yeah, that's just kind of where we are."
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Porter may not be quite the same tier as Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez — who's also fighting for a new deal — two players also part of that 2023 draft class. But he's still a talented corner and a reliable piece of the Steelers' secondary. He finished fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 and hasn't allowed a single touchdown since Week 8 of his rookie season. Across three seasons in Pittsburgh, he's posted 165 combined tackles, 31 pass breakups, three interceptions, three tackles for loss, and one sack. In 2025, he earned an overall PFF grade of 67.6 , ranking 36th out of 114 qualified corners, and a coverage grade of 74.1, ranking 20th. He also allowed a passer rating of just 56.2 when targeted by opposing quarterbacks.
He likely won't get the $132 million extension Witherspoon received — worth $33 million annually — but he's certainly worth more than the $3.9 million he's set to earn this year. The two sides need to find common ground, and it looks like they remain far apart. With Week 1 just over two weeks away, the Steelers will need to make a move — either paying Porter what he wants or, if the situation escalates and he refuses to play without a new deal, potentially trading their top cornerback.
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