Porter And Steelers Still Apart
Porter and the Steelers remain unresolved on a new deal, and Pittsburgh's longstanding policy of cutting off negotiations once the regular season starts has turned this into a real deadline.
Porter himself sounded far from confident this week, telling reporters he's "not really" optimistic a deal gets done before the opener.
Report: Joey Porter Jr is NOT expected to get a contract extension before Sunday.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) September 11, 2026
And Porter Jr is expected to only play a part-time role vs Atlanta. Asante Samuel Jr will play a lot.
Per up and coming Steelers insider Nick Farabaugh.
This JPJ situation is UGLY. pic.twitter.com/i3OWiHL5fe
But according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, sources say the Steelers "haven't made or received any trade calls" on Porter.
Steelers' insider Mark Kaboly reported much the same thing days later, saying Pittsburgh hasn't fielded a single inquiry and hasn't made any calls of its own either.
A Market That Should Exist, But Doesn't
The lack of interest is very interesting given where the cornerback market currently sits.
Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez just signed a four-year, $135 million extension with $102 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in league history and pushing the going rate for a true CB1 even higher.
Joey Porter Jr. talked with the media here for about two minutes about his contract and where it stands.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) September 11, 2026
He says he “hopes” something happens before the game, but was realistic that he’s not all that optimistic about something getting done.
On if he is prepared to play, Porter… pic.twitter.com/ZN5GeHemMU
Porter is chasing similar money, and Pittsburgh's silence on the trade front suggests any team that wanted in would have to give up serious draft capital and then immediately sort out the same expensive negotiation the Steelers haven't been able to finish themselves.
For now, that combination appears to be keeping the phones quiet.
