New NFL Rumors on 'Clear Message' in Joey Porter Jr.'s Steelers Contract Extension Talks

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has considered both a trade request and holdout due to the slow pace of his contract negotiations, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday.

Fowler reported Wednesday that "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."

According to Fowler, "the Steelers most likely would do a deal with Porter" but may be dissuaded by a market in which top cornerbacks make more than $30 million per year.

"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 told reporters Tuesday he felt he had "coaches and players really on my side that understand everything about the business side of things."

Tuesday marked Porter's first day back at practice following his absence from the majority of training camp and the preseason after being placed on the PUP list with a back injury in July.

The cornerback said Tuesday his back issues were the "whole reason" he had been sidelined.

He didn't offer a definitive answer, however, when asked if he would play in Week 1 without a new contract.

"I don't know. I have to talk to the guys upstairs, my agents, about that one," Porter said about the possibility of playing this season on an expiring deal (h/t ESPN's Brooke Pryor ).

Steelers general manager Omar Khan confirmed Monday the Steelers would not adjust their longstanding policy of not negotiating contracts in-season should Porter not agree to a new deal by Week 1.

Porter is currently set to enter the 2026 season carrying a $4.9 million cap hit in the final year of his rookie deal. As noted by Fowler, the projected franchise tag the Steelers could use to keep him under contract for 2027 would come out to about $23 million.

That tag is about $10 million below the top of the positional market, which Devon Witherspoon recently set at $33 million in average annual salary following his recent extension with the Seattle Seahawks.

Witherspoon is part of a group of five cornerbacks including the Cleveland Browns' Denzel Ward, Los Angeles Rams' Trent McDuffie, Indianapolis Colts' Sauce Gardner and Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. who are set to make more than $30 million in average annual salary on their latest contracts.

Whether Porter is set on joining that group could impact the likelihood he and the Steelers are able to work out a new deal before opening the regular season Sunday, Sept. 13 against the visiting Atlanta Falcons.