10:20pm: Further pointing towards the possibility of a trade, Dulac relayed from team sources today that the “Steelers are done talking” about a contract extension with Porter “and will not have further discussions about a new deal.” Usually proclamations like that are temporary as the two parties opt to push discussions until after the season.
With Porter entering a contract year, though, Pittsburgh wouldn’t have a ton of time to hammer out an agreement after negotiations that reportedly haven’t been close. The absence of a timeline to return to negotiations may indicate that any discussions the Steelers intend to have concerning Porter will be held with other teams.
7:24am: The Steelers are likely to be without cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for Sunday’s season opener against the Falcons, per ESPN.com’s Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter. More importantly, the veteran NFL insiders say a trade shipping Porter out of Pittsburgh is a distinct possibility.
[RELATED: Steelers’ Offseason Brings Several Extensions]
Porter, 26, spent most of training camp on the active/PUP list, ostensibly due to the same back injury that is keeping him out of the Steelers’ Week 1 matchup with Atlanta. However, it is believed the real culprit was his contract status, and his placement on the PUP list simply saved him the trouble of a hold-in. His Week 1 absence will surely be viewed with similar skepticism, but since he was only activated from the PUP list on August 30, there is a genuine need for a ramp-up period. That said, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hears Porter is healthy enough to play.
Porter, a 2023 second-rounder, is eligible for free agency in 2027. Although it initially appeared he would be a top extension priority, players like Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington landed new contracts before Pittsburgh even engaged Porter’s camp in talks. Indeed, as of the start of training camp, substantive negotiations had not commenced at all.
As the summer progressed, and as it became clear the two sides were not making much headway on an extension, rival clubs began to wonder if the Steelers would consider shopping Porter. As of late August, it was reported that Pittsburgh had neither made nor received calls in that regard, but it now appears a trade is very much on the table.
Rapoport and Schefter even say Porter “had previously requested a trade,” although prior reports suggested he was merely considering that option. Nonetheless, the Penn State product reportedly remains open to a change of scenery, and the Steelers likewise will listen to offers.
That said, it sounds as if Pittsburgh has set a high asking price, which may include a first-round pick. Given that an acquiring team would have to authorize a lucrative extension in addition to parting with high-end draft capital, there have been no serious trade talks as of yet. But Rapoport/Schefter believe that could change quickly, especially since the Steelers historically treat Week 1 as the deadline for contract discussions.
While Porter is not necessarily looking to reset the cornerback market, he now has six CB peers who earn at least $30MM per season. Rapoport and Schefter say the Steelers are not “anywhere close” to that figure, and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network confirms there is still a gulf between the parties.
As veteran reporter Ed Werder observes, the Steelers and Cowboys have engaged in multiple notable swaps in recent history, with Pittsburgh sending WR George Pickens and OT Broderick Jones to Dallas. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said he is willing to make a splash for a quality defensive player, and his club does have a cornerback need. Werder does not say Dallas has engaged the Steelers’ front office about a Porter trade, but Cowboys-Porter rumors would not be surprising.
Another second-generation talent, Asante Samuel Jr., will get the start in place of Porter, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Samuel has put together a strong preseason.
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