NFL Trade Rumors: Did Steelers’ ‘clear message’ push Joey Porter Jr. toward a holdout or trade request?

Joey Porter Jr. reportedly received a message from the Pittsburgh Steelers without the team having to say much at all.ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that Pittsburgh’s failure to make a formal contract offer for weeks prompted Porter to consider requesting a trade or sitting out for an extended period. With Week 1 approaching, the Steelers’ own contract policy has turned a slow negotiation into a deadline.Why did Joey Porter Jr. consider a trade request or holdout before Week 1?According to Fowler, the Steelers’ lack of movement left Porter with a clear impression about how Pittsburgh wanted to handle the final year of his rookie contract.“Sources say the Steelers' lack of a formal offer for weeks sent the clear message to Porter that they would like him to play out the final year of his rookie contract, which prompted him to consider the possibility of a trade or sitting out for an extended period,” Fowler reported.That does not mean Pittsburgh wants Porter gone.Fowler also reported that “the Steelers most likely would do a deal with Porter,” while adding that the rising cornerback market could complicate negotiations.The coaching staff also appears to want Porter in Pittsburgh.“I'm told the new coaching staff is not a deterrent here. They are all-in on his ability as a high-level cover man,” Fowler reported.Porter returned to practice Tuesday after spending most of training camp and the preseason sidelined. He had been placed on the physically unable to perform list because of a back injury in July.Porter told reporters that the injury was the “whole reason” for his absence. His answer about playing without an extension, however, created another issue.Asked whether he would play on his expiring contract, Porter did not commit.“I don't know,” Porter said. “I got to talk to the guys upstairs and my agents about that.”Minutes earlier, Porter initially sounded more certain when asked whether he would play if healthy.“Yeah, for sure,” he said before pausing and adding, “maybe.”That uncertainty matters because Pittsburgh does not have much time to resolve it.What is stopping the Steelers from giving Joey Porter Jr. a new contract?Money sits at the center of the discussion.Porter is entering the final year of his rookie deal with a $4.9 million cap hit. Meanwhile, the top of the cornerback market has moved well beyond $30 million in average annual salary.Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon recently set the mark at $33 million per year. Denzel Ward, Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. are also set to average more than $30 million annually on their latest deals.Fowler reported that those numbers could make Pittsburgh hesitant.The Steelers also have another option if Porter plays out the season. The projected franchise tag for a cornerback in 2027 is roughly $23 million, according to Over the Cap. That figure sits about $10 million below Witherspoon’s annual average.Pittsburgh has already extended three players from Porter’s 2023 draft class. Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington and Keeanu Benton received new deals while Porter continues to wait.Porter said he was happy for his teammates.“I was really just happy that they got theirs done,” Porter said. “I came in with those guys, me, Herb, and Keeanu and even Washington, we all came in together. Those are my guys. So I was ecstatic that they got paid.”His own negotiations have been harder.“It's been tough, not going to lie,” Porter said. “It's my first go around [with] this.”Steelers general manager Omar Khan added another clock to the situation Monday. Pittsburgh will maintain its longstanding policy of refusing to negotiate contracts once the regular season begins.That makes Sept. 13 significant for more than the Steelers’ opener against the Atlanta Falcons.If Porter and Pittsburgh cannot reach an agreement before Week 1, contract talks could effectively stop until after the season. Porter has not promised he will play without a new deal.For now, Pittsburgh still has its starting cornerback back at practice. Whether it has him under a new contract, or even committed to playing Week 1, remains unresolved.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.