A Wednesday report indicated that the status of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ Week 1 home game against the Atlanta Falcons is “up in the air” amid Porter’s desire for a contract extension.
During a Thursday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared a new update on the Porter situation that Steelers fans won’t like.
Steelers, Joey Porter Jr. still “far apart” in contract negotiations
“I think the Joey Porter one is difficult,” Schefter said. “The sides have been far apart.”
Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks and Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots set the market for cornerbacks this summer. Witherspoon inked a four-year, $132M deal, while Gonzalez received
a four-year extension worth $135M that reportedly included $102M guaranteed.
The perception exists that the Steelers don’t want to give Porter $30M per season, but it’s unclear exactly how much he is looking to earn via his deal.
History shows there’s time for Steelers, Joey Porter Jr. to get something done
Schefter noted that the Patriots and Gonzalez’s camp got his extension done when New England personnel were on the plane for Wednesday night’s regular-season opener at Seattle.
“It just goes to show you, in this last week, I always think that there’s a last push on both sides to get something done,” Schefter explained.
However, Schefter acknowledged that it will be “challenging” for the Steelers and Porter to come to an agreement because the sides have “been so far apart” throughout the summer.
Porter spent the majority of August on the physically unable to perform list with a supposed back injury that he aggravated on the first day of training camp. He later hinted that he may not play against the Falcons if he doesn’t sign an extension, and he was listed as limited for Wednesday’s practice.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are seemingly serious about sticking to their policy of not negotiating with any player after the start of a regular season. Thus, it’s fair to wonder whether or not Porter could go public with a trade request if he doesn’t have a signed extension in hand by Sunday afternoon.
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