The Steelers placed cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on the active/PUP list after he suffered a back injury at the start of training camp in late July. Porter didn’t return to practice until Sept. 1, giving him limited time to ramp up for the Steelers’ regular-season opener last Sunday. As a result, head coach Mike McCarthy held Porter out for the Steelers’ Week 1 win over the Falcons.
Pittsburgh is gearing up for a clash with New England on Sunday, though it is unclear if Porter will make his season debut. It is also unknown if Porter will finish the season as a Steeler. The uncertainty is not based on his injury, but on account of unproductive contract negotiations that could lead the soon-to-be free agent out of town in 2026.
While Porter sought an extension over the past several months, the Steelers were not in any hurry to get one done. They didn’t even make Porter an offer until last week, which would be fine for a team willing to negotiate long-term deals during the season. However, the Steelers’ longstanding policy is to shut down extension talks as soon as the season begins. They reportedly are not going to change their protocol for the disgruntled Porter, who surfaced in trade rumors last Sunday.
The Steelers are open to moving Porter, though teams have not shown interest in meeting their asking price so far, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said as a guest on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. There is no word on what Pittsburgh is seeking in return for Porter, but Rapoport points to Kansas City and Detroit as possible trade destinations.
The Chiefs lost previous starting corners Trent McDuffie (in a trade) and Jaylen Watson (in free agency) to the Rams in the offseason. They responded by trading up from ninth to sixth in the first round of the draft to take Mansoor Delane, who pulled in an interception in a 31-10 win over the Broncos on Monday. Delane injured his shoulder on that play – just his third defensive snap – and did not return, though Rapoport reported on Tuesday afternoon that he should not miss much time. Kristian Fulton replaced Delane on Monday and filled in as a boundary corner opposite Nohl Williams.
Considering the Chiefs held Broncos quarterback Bo Nix to 131 passing yards on a measly 4.7 per attempt, they are likely content with their current stable of corners. If that changes sometime before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, perhaps they will seriously consider a Porter pursuit.
On paper, the Lions may make more sense for Porter than the Chiefs. They cut former starting corner Terrion Arnold over the summer after he was arrested on eight felony charges of kidnapping and armed robbery, leaving journeyman Rock Ya-Sin as their No. 2 behind D.J. Reed.
The 30-year-old Ya-Sin has come off the bench in 51 of 97 appearances during his career, and he has not hit double-digit starts since his rookie season in 2019. Porter would offer an upgrade over Ya-Sin for the Lions, who could be in good financial position to extend the 26-year-old.
By restructuring the contracts of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and left tackle Penei Sewell last weekend, the Lions created $35.68MM in cap space. That’s money they may use this year or roll over into 2027, when a long-term Porter contract would hit their books. Head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday that he doesn’t anticipate any significant trade pickups, but he did point out the extra money could help with extensions (via Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network).
Tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch are Detroit’s extension priorities, but Porter would join them in the event of a trade. Any team that acquires Porter (if one does) will do so knowing he wants a new contract. Seven corners are averaging between $25MM and $33.75MM per season. Porter could eventually end up in that group, but with no Pro Bowls or All-Pro selections on his resume, he may be hard-pressed to reach the $30MM mark.
As is the case with the Lions, the Giants improved their near-term cap outlook with a recent restructure. They reworked safety Jevon Holland’s pact on Monday to open up $5.84MM in spending space, per Over the Cap. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are ready to trade for Porter or anyone else, but they have shown past interest in him. Sources told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post that the team was “splitting hairs” over Porter and fellow corner Deonte Banks late in the first round of the 2023 draft.
The Giants ultimately chose Banks 24th overall, while Porter went to the Steelers with the top pick in the second round (No. 32). Porter has turned into the better pro, and if he still intrigues the Giants, they could circle back. For now, though, Banks and Greg Newsome are their starters. Those two combined to play 100 snaps in a 28-20 win over the Cowboys in Week 1.
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