After signing Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington to extensions in recent days, the focus shifts to Joey Porter Jr. as the presumptive next player the Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to extend. Porter’s play in recent seasons has solidified him as easily the Steelers’ best cornerback, but determining his market value league-wide is another question.
Steve Palazzolo pushed back against the idea that Porter will receive a top-of-the-market contract if and when he re-signs with Pittsburgh.
“Joey Porter’s gonna be a trickier one,” Palazzolo said on 93.7 The Fan’s PM Team. “The cornerback market has gone up, but for the elite players at the top of the market, not for the guys that have had some ups and downs like Porter has.”
Palazzolo pointed to Porter’s penalty issues as one of the key issues in his play. In 2024, Porter racked up 137 penalty yards and had the ugliest game of his career against the Cincinnati Bengals, drawing six flags, though only four were accepted. Last season, Porter’s 56 penalty yards were a career low, and his continued excellence in coverage made him one of the most important players on Pittsburgh’s defense.
The one element lacking in Porter’s game that may cost him in contract negotiations is turnovers and splash plays. He has recorded exactly one interception in each of his three NFL seasons. While turnovers can be hard to predict year-to-year, even for the best players, Porter’s lack of playmaking seems to be a known concern at this point in his career.
As reported earlier this week, Porter and the Steelers are expected to come to a deal soon. According to Mark Kaboly, the price tag on the deal is expected to be between $25 and $30 million per season. That kind of money would put Porter in elite company among the league’s top corners and, if it’s in the high end of that range, would fall in line with recent contracts signed by Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner.
Even after a blockbuster trade last offseason to bring Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh with hopes of making him Pittsburgh’s top cover corner, Porter still ended the season as the Steelers’ top option at the position. While there have been some growing pains in his first three seasons, Porter has had far more good than bad to offer and may still have another level to reach in his game.
It seems only a matter of time before Porter and the Steelers reach an agreement on a new deal. While he’s sure to get a nice payday, whether or not he’s paid like an elite cornerback will be one of the interesting facets of his next contract.
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