Joey Porter extension trade
Joey Porter extension trade
Nobody wants to trade a 26-year-old starting cornerback. Especially not one the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted themselves and who has established himself as one of the team’s most important young defensive players. The whole point of drafting and developing players like Joey Porter Jr. is to keep them around for their prime years.
Unless, of course, that player wants to be paid like something the Steelers don’t believe he is.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport stated he is likely to reset the cornerback market when he signs. If that’s really Porter’s goal, it shouldn’t be in Pittsburgh. Under those circumstances, the Steelers should trade him.
Does Porter view himself that way? Don’t take my word for it. He was asked about his ranking in early April, and he saw himself as a top-five cornerback before coming into his own last season.
“I feel like I should have been up in that rank in my rookie year. The media don’t see it that way, but the players, they respect it,” Porter said on The BluePrint Podcast earlier this offseason. “I feel like I’ve been that guy for a minute…I feel like that’s what people really harp on my game about is the PIs and the penalties, but it’s like y’all hold no other DB under that microscope. I haven’t gave up a touchdown in three years. No WR put over 50, 60 yards on my head alone, and I travel with the best of them.
“You saying I’m not top five because I had 50 yards in penalties? That’s crazy.”
Penalties have been Porter’s biggest issue since entering the league. But he did a good job cleaning them up in 2025, nearly cutting his total in half from the career-high 17 he had in 2024. And he’s right to point to the lack of touchdowns allowed in coverage since he entered the NFL. It’s by far his best argument.
But this isn’t about whether he’s a good player — he very obviously is. It’s about whether he should reset the market as one of the very best players at his position.
There shouldn’t even be a debate for that caliber of player. T.J. Watt was an obvious one throughout his prime, for example, because he had the accolades to back it up with Pro Bowls, All-Pros, and even a Defensive Player of the Year award under his belt. The closest Porter has come was a single vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.
A lack of splash plays hurts Porter. There’s no way around it. I understand good corners may not have the ball thrown their way, limiting opportunities for interceptions and forced fumbles, but three interceptions and zero forced fumbles is still a low number. I have stats to prove it, via Pro Football Focus’ charting.
Top Corners (2023-2025)
Player
Trent McDuffie
Devon Witherspoon
Christian Gonzalez
Derek Stingley Jr.
Patrick Surtain II
Joey Porter Jr.
Denzel Ward
Jaycee Horn
Sauce Gardner
If anyone has the argument that few targets lead to few takeaways, it’s Sauce Gardner. He’s barely targeted relative to the rest of the group. Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon aren’t exactly hyper-productive in that area either, but they were at least key players on two of the best defenses in football last season—and the two teams that ultimately met in the Super Bowl.
There’s a reason Ike Taylor never reset the cornerback market throughout his career. While he was one of the best shutdown corners in the league, his ball production wasn’t up to par. As a result, he never made the Pro Bowl.
According to the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers don’t view Porter as a top-five cornerback. Neither does the rest of the league. The NFL’s Top 100, voted on by players, had him outside the top 110. ESPN’s annual poll of coaches, execs, and scouts ranked Porter No. 12 among cornerbacks.
If the Steelers hold that belief, why should they pay him like he’s the best?
Instead of trading Porter, you could argue that the franchise tag is the better route. The Steelers can kick the can down the road, see how Porter does in the new defense, and give him a new contract based on his 2026 performance. But the franchise tag is fully guaranteed at the time of signing, which would put the full (projected) $23.1 million figure on the salary cap ledger for 2027. For reference, that would be the third-highest cap number on the team this year.
Giving Porter a top-dollar extension now or using the franchise tag later would create the same cap crunch next offseason. The Steelers have multiple large contracts to hand out to offensive linemen, and they definitely can’t afford to botch that rebuild after spending so much time and effort getting things right there.
For a win-now team, trading Porter doesn’t make sense at face value. The Steelers would be worse in 2026 without him. But how much worse?
Asante Samuel Jr.’s emergence can’t be overstated. He was the MVP of the Steelers’ training camp, and he’s slated to be a backup. It’s not a stretch to think he could start for the team, either. Prior to his injury, he was one of the top young and rising cornerbacks in the league. Pair him with Jamel Dean, and you have a viable starting duo on the outside. And for an added bonus, the Steelers think they have found something in rookie CB Daylen Everette.
If another team is willing to make Porter the highest-paid cornerback in the league, the Steelers should expect significant draft capital in return. That would be particularly valuable considering Pittsburgh is slated to have just seven picks in 2027, with two coming in the seventh round.
Rapoport said there’s been trade chatter from teams around the league regarding Porter and said he would “expect” his market to come in around a first-round pick or more. It would be really hard to pass on that since 2027 is projected to be a loaded quarterback class. Even with Drew Allar and Will Howard on the roster, the Steelers may not have their long-term solution at the most important position. Until they do, they will never return to contender status.
If Porter isn’t willing to negotiate within a realistic range, and he can help them get there, make the trade.