Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. leaves the field following an AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
With the Pittsburgh Steelers getting ready for the 2026 NFL season, there is one loose thread that the team has to figure out before Week 1 on Sept. 13 against the Atlanta Falcons. With trade rumors swirling around Steelers star Joey Porter Jr., and even head coach Mike McCarthy admitting the team and player are at an “impasse,” this NFL insider offered more insight into the situation.
According to Brooke Pryor at ESPN, “there hasn't been meaningful progress on extension talks” with Porter, as the team has not even “made or received any trade calls” on the 26-year-old.
“As an organization, the Steelers have long maintained that they don't negotiate contracts once the regular season starts, beginning with the first game of the season,” Pryor wrote. “Yet despite the impending deadline, a source told ESPN that there hasn't been meaningful progress on extension talks. The Steelers also haven't made or received any trade calls on Porter, the source added.”
Steelers' Mike McCarthy expresses “impasse” with Joey Porter Jr.
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Porter has been on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list since sustaining a back injury on the first day of training camp, though he was present for some of OTAs and mandatory minicamp, but didn't partake in drills open to the media. Entering the final year of his rookie contract after being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, McCarthy would speak about the situation, saying they're currently at an “impasse.”
“I learned this in my early years as a head coach: You have to separate the business and football,” McCarthy said. “Sometimes it's easier than others. This is a challenge for both Joey and us because we're first-year staff.”
“I would love the opportunity to coach Joey Porter,” McCarthy continued. “So we're at an impasse right here, and you've got to respect that. Every one of us has a contract. The organization, they have beliefs and so forth. But yeah, that's just kind of where we are.”
It remains to be seen how the situation between Pittsburgh and Porter is resolved, and if it will be before Sept. 13 against Atlanta.