We Now Know What’s Holding Up Joey Porter Jr.’s Extension With Steelers originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As the Steelers look to build off a 1-0 start to the season, the status of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. continues to hang over the franchise.
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Porter Jr. is and Pittsburgh have been negotiating a new contract extension for months, but were unable to come to an agreement on a deal before Week 1 began. The Steelers typically don’t like to negotiate contracts during the season, leaving it possible that Porter Jr. has already played his last game with the team.
It appears as though the Steelers and Porter Jr. couldn’t agree on one particular part of the contract structure, creating an impasse between the two sides. As long as neither side is willing to budge, Porter Jr. time with the Steelers could be coming to a close.
Here’s why Porter Jr. remains unsigned beyond the 2026 season.
The Steelers and Porter Jr. are apart in contract extension negotiations, and the biggest disagreement seems to be down to structure of the contract. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reports that Porter Jr. wants fully guaranteed money beyond the first season, which Pittsburgh doesn’t typically do with their deals. Only star pass rusher T.J. Watt was able to win negotiations by getting the Steelers to give him full guarantees after the first year.
