Joey Porter Jr rejected $27 million per year deal, per report

The ongoing saga between the Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Joey Porter Jr continues into Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season.

After not partaking in training camp or preseason while in the midst of a contract dispute, Porter has yet to take the field in the regular season with a back injury being cited as the reason why. Porter and the Steelers didn't come to terms on a long-term deal ahead of the season. Pittsburgh doesn't negotiate deals in the regular season, so any likelihood of a deal getting done this season seems all but gone.

Porter disputed claims that he demanded to reset the cornerback market and become the highest-paid cornerback in football. And while we don't know what number he wants, a recent report does say what he turned down.

Per Gerry Dulac, the Steelers offered Porter a deal that would have paid him $27 million per year, which the former second-round pick turned down.

"I don't see how Joey Porter Jr. will go play this year for just south of $4 million when he walked away from what would have been just north of $27 million this year," Dulac said on WDVE, via Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot .

A $27 million per year deal would have made Porter the seventh-highest paid cornerback in terms of average annual value, behind Derek Stingley and ahead of Jaycee Horn.

Adam Schefter reports that the Steelers expect Porter to play in Week 3, but that Porter is seeking a second opinion on his back.

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