Steelers-Joey Porter Jr. Impasse Based On Guarantee Structure

Every NFL team has its preferred way of doing business.

The Steelers, who have enjoyed long stretches of continuity in terms of their ownership, front office, and coaching staff, are no different. They have a clear and established contract precedent, which specifically excludes negotiating extensions during the regular season and offering fully guaranteed money after the first year of a new deal. But the team would have to break both of those rules to get star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to sign a long-term extension anytime soon, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor and Jeremy Fowler.

All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt forced Pittsburgh to relent on the second rule in their drawn-out negotiations last year and received $32MM fully guaranteed in the second season. He also set a franchise record with $108MM in fully guaranteed money across the entire deal.

But since then, the team has only offered injury guarantees in the second year of extensions signed by defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, tight end Darnell Washington, and outside linebacker Nick Herbig. Those players were all drafted in 2023 and have yet to earn any Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition in their careers.

The same is true of Porter. He is no doubt an ascending young player who excels with physicality in press coverage and at the catch point. Last season, he ranked among the league’s top 10 cornerbacks in completion percentage allowed (48.5%), yards per target (5.0), and passer rating allowed (57.2). Though he appeared in just 14 games, he was still tied for 12th with 14 passes defended.

But 2025 was Porter’s only season with that level of play. He showed promise in his first two years in the NFL, but, as his lack of accolades indicates, he is not yet among the league’s very best. The 26-year-old’s lack of turnover production has carried over from college; he does not offer much in run defense; and he does not bring much versatility as a man-dominant, outside-only cornerback.

The Steelers have another reason to wait: the franchise tag. The cornerback tag is only projected to cost $23.12MM next offseason, per OverTheCap. The positional market is up to $33.75MM per year, and though Porter’s resume may not get him that high, he would still stand to earn far more than the tag on a multi-year deal. But Pittsburgh might be betting on the depth of the NFL’s cornerback talent to keep Porter locked out of Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors for another year, setting him up for a relatively inexpensive tag that gives the team extra leverage in extension negotiations.

But Porter, the son of Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter, still profiles as a potential franchise cornerstone for his father’s team. Pittsburgh likely wants to keep him long-term, but they have little reason to break their contract precedent to do so.