The Joey Porter Jr. saga continues to drag on for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Things seemed like they were changing when Porter was listed on Wednesday’s injury report as limited due to conditioning. But Thursday’s report confirmed he’s still dealing with a back issue. That’s all likely a cover for a hold-in, though. Porter wants a contract extension, but he and the Steelers couldn’t agree to terms before Week 1. Now, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac has shared what Porter didn’t like about Pittsburgh’s offer.

“In my opinion, [it] was more than a fair offer,” Dulac said Thursday on the In the Locker Room podcast. “It was not what a top-five corner would make, but it was certainly more than what your average top-10 cornerback would make.

“By that I mean there are 11 cornerbacks in the league who average more than $20 million a year. Joey would have easily been in that group, but he wanted to have a three in front of his number. That didn’t work out. Then, you have other issues…one of them [was] about guaranteed money.”

While Porter disputed the report that he wants to be the NFL’s highest-paid corner, Dulac’s words make it seem like his asking price wasn’t far from that. New England Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez recently reset the market with a deal averaging $33.75 million annually.

Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks was previously the top-paid corner at $33 million per year. Four other corners make at least $30 million annually.

There’s a slight drop-off after that, though. Jaycee Horn is the seventh-highest paid at $25 million per year. Dulac doesn’t give exact figures, but it sounds like the Steelers’ final offer came somewhere above Horn but below $30 million.

It’s not surprising the Steelers didn’t want to give Porter a deal worth that much. He’s a good, young player, but he’s not as proven or accomplished as some of the NFL’s other top corners. Players like Witherspoon and Gonzalez have All-Pro honors. Porter hasn’t even made a Pro Bowl.

It’s not shocking that guaranteed money was a problem. That’s one of the Steelers’ biggest sticking points in contract negotiations. They usually only guarantee the first year of a player’s contract. They’ve broken that rule, including with T.J. Watt, but it takes a lot. Pittsburgh usually only breaks contract precedents for the league’s very best players.

Now, the Steelers and Porter are in a standoff. Porter isn’t playing, and the Steelers don’t negotiate contracts during the season. It comes down to who blinks first.

The Steelers could also trade Porter, but his contract demands could hinder that. Reports indicate there hasn’t been much trade interest in Porter, and his price tag could be why. Other teams might also be hesitant to give him $30 million a year. Hopefully, a resolution comes soon, but Porter and the Steelers don’t seem to be in a good place now.