Since April, rumors have swirled concerning a potential extension for Steelers legacy cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Now, with the team’s season opener just two days away, Pittsburgh and the second generation defender seems no closer to an agreement, though he doesn’t seem to believe a lack of success right now will affect his long-term future with the team.
Initial rumors suggested that Porter may be a top priority for the Steelers, but it wasn’t until after the team inked long-term deals for tight end Darnell Washington and outside linebacker Nick Herbig that attention turned to Porter as the third on the docket. As negotiations began, it became clear that Porter was not going to be pursuing the same terms as cornerbacks like Trent McDuffie, Devon Witherspoon, and Christian Gonzalez who each, in turn, reset the cornerback market this offseason.
Regardless, Porter was confronted about rumors that he was looking to become the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, rumors he denied, per ESPN’s Brook Pryor. “I don’t know where that came from,” Porter told reporters. “Whoever made that, I really don’t pay too much hype into it.”
In late June, reports indicated that the two sides were not close to an agreement, and as the team arrived for training camp, it was reported that serious negotiations hadn’t taken place at all. At this point, it came out that things may be getting contentious. With Porter reportedly unhappy with the progress of his negotiations, teams began to inquire with Pittsburgh about a potential trade for the former second-round pick.
The Steelers had placed Porter on the active/physically unable to perform list before training camp after he aggravated a back injury. This saved Porter the trouble of holding out, but after he was activated at the roster cut deadline, Porter relayed that he wasn’t sure if he would play without an extension. Since then, he has practiced in a limited capacity, according to Pryor, and is officially listed as questionable ahead of Sunday’s Week 1 matchup with the Falcons.
This afternoon, after expressing that all he could do at this point is hope, Porter was asked if anything gave him optimism that a deal would get done now. “No, not really,” he responded (via Pryor). “I mean, at this point, we got — I don’t know how many (hours) we got to game day, but the clock’s ticking, so it is what it is. At this point, we’re going to be prepared regardless of the situation.”