As with many things in life, timing is everything. That’s the case for Pittsburgh Steelers fourth-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who is on the final year of his rookie contract. The timing of an extension will be one of the key storylines this offseason.
With outside factors like the league-wide cornerback market potentially affecting the dollar amount in Porter’s next contract, conventional wisdom would suggest that it’s best for the Steelers to lock up their budding star corner as soon as possible.
Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, who appeared on the Snap Count podcast with former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex, did not mince words when discussing the importance of a deal getting done quickly.
“Ultimately, you’re hoping that JPJ, when those contract talks are happening behind the scenes, that hopefully the contract is done sooner rather than later because this guy has earned every penny that is coming his direction,” Batch said on the Snap Count podcast. “And let’s hope that you can knock this out before training camp hits and not have him work toward free agency and ultimately have him thinking about what happens after the season because as a media member, people are going to be asking him, ‘Hey, are you preparing as if this is the last year?’
“If this is your guy, lock him up. Omar Khan, lock JPJ up and do it soon.”
Pittsburgh has made some moves at cornerback in free agency, re-signing Asante Samuel Jr. and bringing in Jamel Dean on a three-year deal. But Porter remains the clear number one option at the position.
Porter’s play will likely earn him a big payday but the overall trajectory of the cornerback market this offseason won’t work in the Steelers’ favor. After finalizing a trade from the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Rams awarded CB Trent McDuffie a record-breaking four-year, $124 million deal. That contract set a new high-water mark for average salary for a corner at $31 million per season.
While a new contract with Porter isn’t expected to match that dollar amount, it’s fair to expect Porter to become on of the top 10 to 12 highest paid corners in the league.
As Batch mentioned, if contract negotiations loom into training camp, it will certainly be one of the biggest storylines of the summer in Latrobe. Of course, having a young talented player that deserves a hefty payday is a good problem to have, all things considered. For the Steelers, though, it would be in their best interest to get the deal squared away sooner rather than later.
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