Joey Porter Jr. trade
Is a Joey Porter Jr. trade on the table as the Steelers “impasse” persists?
In so many words, HC Mike McCarthy basically admitted what we already knew: Joey Porter Jr. is on the PUP List over his contact. Obviously, he didn’t come out and say it, but one can easily read between the lines. Contract negotiations certainly are a pain, after all, but how serious can this one get?
Based on yesterday’s developments, it doesn’t sound like things are nearing a conclusion. McCarthy said that the Steelers and Porter are at an impasse, while Jalen Ramsey, fresh off the PUP List, spoke out insisting that the team pay him. Later, we learned that the team hasn’t even made a formal contract offer, and trade speculation is beginning to flow.
At what point do we need to start taking trade speculation seriously concerning Joey Porter? The Steelers haven’t traded a player amidst a contract struggle since Mike Merriweather, at least that I can think of off the top of my head. They traded George Pickens last year, knowing they wouldn’t sign him to an extension, but that wasn’t just about money.
The Steelers are at least partly to blame for this situation, as they could have prioritized extending Porter far earlier this offseason. In the interim, the cornerback market has exploded. At this point, it’s hard to see Porter accepting under $30 million per season…whether from the Steelers or from a team willing to trade for him.
I highly doubt that is the resolution that either side wants. At the same time, what exactly is going on? It certainly seems as though the Steelers don’t view Joey Porter Jr. as a top-of-the-market cornerback and are highly resistant toward paying him accordingly. They have paid everybody else they hoped to extend this offseason, yet their highest priority remained without a new contract.
While it hasn’t been the Steelers’ way of doing business, other teams in the league have certainly taken the approach with a player like Joey Porter Jr. of executing a trade and taking the compensation rather than paying a player more than they feel he is worth. How near are we to this? When you have the team’s own head coach openly declaring they’re at an impasse, you know that something is amiss.
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 out of training camp, 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.
terrible-podcast-2026-august-24-episode-3144
terrible-podcast-2026-august-24-episode-3144