How many more contract extensions will the Steelers complete before the regular season begins?
Over the course of minicamp, the Steelers have completed contract extensions for Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington. Prior to that, they also signed Chris Boswell to an extension. But, contrary to previous years, they still have at least a couple other contracts they want to negotiate.
The two big ones, of course, are Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton, who, like Herbig and Washington, come from the Steelers’ draft class of 2023. The Steelers haven’t signed multiple players to multi-year contract extensions in a long time. Now they’ve done it in a span of two days, and who knows what today holds?
The chief focus has to be Joey Porter Jr., who is surely of the highest priority for the front office. The Steelers have built their defense around him as their top cornerback, or at least with the understanding that that is who he is. Even Jalen Ramsey said he’s the top guy, which I’m sure wasn’t easy for him to admit. But that doesn’t mean the Steelers can just put a number down and the contract extension works itself out.
One of the complications if the fact that Porter doesn’t have two big things: interceptions and accolades. Everybody sees the talent, but with no Pro Bowls, no All-Pros, it’s not cemented as it is for other top-paid cornerbacks. And even he knows, as he’s said it, that the interceptions need to be the next step. What kind of extension can the Steelers give a cornerback who only completes one interception opportunity per season? It’s not like teams are avoiding throwing to him; in fact, he had a career year in passes defensed in 2025, but some of those were dropped picks.
Porter isn’t the only possible contract extension left for the Steelers, though, nor is Benton. There are others they can at least consider, like Spencer Anderson, especially if he wins a starting job. It doesn’t sound like they have any plans to sign Patrick Queen to one, and Queen sounds fine with that. There is, obviously, Broderick Jones, but we understand why that won’t happen, either.
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin resigning.
We’re already deep into the offseason, with free agency and the draft already reshaping rosters. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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