Jalen Ramsey Joey Porter Jr.
Jalen Ramsey Joey Porter Jr.
On the same day he was activated off the Active/PUP list after missing all of training camp recovering from an injury suffered in minicamp in June, veteran Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey stumped for his fellow defensive back Joey Porter Jr. to get paid.
“We need the whole secondary out there. They gotta pay Joey Porter,” Ramsey said of Porter, according to video via 93.7 The Fan on X.
‘They got to pay Joey Porter’#Steelers Jalen Ramsey after his 1st practice pic.twitter.com/9E0cJmrld5
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) August 24, 2026
Ramsey later doubled down on the message to the Steelers regarding Porter.
“I’m overly in Joey’s corner. Joey needs to get compensated for being a valuable part of this secondary, and a valuable part of this defense and team,” Porter said, according to video via PGH Sports TV’s Jack Hillgrove on X.
I asked #Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey about getting used to this new defensive scheme. His response, which included his feelings on Joey Porter’s contract situation: @PGH_SportsTV pic.twitter.com/aDKTUmpPAp
— Jack Hillgrove (@Jack_Hillgrove) August 24, 2026
Ramsey, who has been in a contract dispute a time or two in his career with the likes of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins, made his comments about the Steelers’ young cornerback just a few hours after first-year head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged the franchise and Porter are “at an impasse.”
Porter remains on the Active/PUP list as he continues to deal with a back injury that flared up during the conditioning drill at Saint Vincent College prior to the first day of training camp.
The veteran defensive back is entering his second season as a member of the Black and Gold, but this isn’t his first time sending a message to the front office regarding a vital piece of the defense. Last summer at Saint Vincent College during training camp, Ramsey appeared on the “Not Just Football” podcast with Cameron Heyward and sent a message to GM Omar Khan regarding Heyward’s contract.
“We need all of y’all out there, man. Mr. Omar, yeah, man. Got a lot of respect for you, Mr. Omar. You took, you taking care of me, T.J. [Watt], Slay. Cam is next,” Ramsey said, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “We’re excited, man. We got potential to do something great if we got all our guys out there happy and feeling like they’re valued.
“I know a little something about feeling valued and getting what you deserve. So, yeah, I’m with you. I’m with you.”
At the time, Heyward didn’t have a new deal and was conducting a hold-in during training camp. Eventually the team and Heyward reached an agreement on a new deal, allowing him to get back onto the field. He turned in another All-Pro season and earned another extension this offseason.
With Porter, he’s in a tough spot working with an entirely new coaching staff in Year 1. They’re trying to learn him, and he’s trying to learn the scheme and adjust to a new world within the Steelers’ organization. But he hasn’t been on the field for the two sides to learn each other.
It’s a business, and with the cornerback market booming in recent months with market-setting extensions, the Steelers appear hesitant to wade into those waters just yet with the young cornerback. It always felt like a foregone conclusion that the Steelers would get something done with Porter prior to the season, but right now it’s hard to see that.
He has one teammate making the case for him though. We’ll see if deadlines spur actions in this case.