The contract saga between the Pittsburgh Steelers and CB Joey Porter Jr. took another turn this week. Porter returned to practice, and the Steelers removed the injury designation. That prompted questions about whether Porter would play Sunday against the New England Patriots.

On Wednesday, Porter exited practice. The Steelers then listed him on Thursday’s injury report again with a back issue. On Friday, the Steelers ruled Porter out of Sunday’s game.

Beat writer Mark Kaboly once expected the sides would get a deal done. He now thinks Joey Porter Jr. is finished in Pittsburgh.

“I would say no, he would not play another game,” Kaboly said Friday on 93.7 The Fan’s The PM Team. “That doesn’t mean that they’re gonna trade him.  I think they have a couple different options here. Me, I would just let him play out, say you’re on IR, and we’ll tag you next year and trade you for something a little bit more valuable next year at this time. I mean, if I’m only gonna get a potential third-round pick or whatever it might be, that number should go up next year if I tag him. And somebody could tag him, sign him and trade for him next year.”

The sudden changes midweek affected Kaboly’s thoughts on the matter. On Monday, Kaboly thought that Porter would play this year and the Steelers would franchise tag him next year en route to signing a new deal next offseason.

Kaboly now believes Porter may never take another snap for the Steelers. He’s not alone, either. ESPN published a story on the situation between Porter and the Steelers. One unnamed source also felt similar to Kaboly. However, Kaboly went on the record with his feelings.

As for what Kaboly thinks could happen, it makes some sense. Trade rumors have been swirling around Porter and the Steelers even before the start of the season. So a trade wouldn’t be out of left field.

Kaboly thinks that the Steelers would be better off waiting until next offseason to make a trade rather than before the trade deadline this year. Would a team be willing to pay a higher price point for someone who didn’t play at all in 2026 versus someone who’s only missed a few games? Who knows. That’s what Kaboly thinks, though.

The kicker? According to Adam Schefter on Monday, no one is really interested in paying the Steelers’ asking price. If that’s true, this situation is odd. The Steelers obviously don’t want to pay Porter what he wants. Otherwise, the Steelers and Porter would have signed a contract extension. However, the Steelers are asking a lot for him in a trade. So they value him highly in that regard. That certainly complicates things for a trade.

Regardless, unless the Steelers acquired a player in this hypothetical trade, they aren’t helping the team this year. As for injured reserve, placing Porter on IR does cool this situation off, at least externally. Then next year, a potential tag-and-trade gets Porter money and the potential for a deal he wants. The Steelers also get something in return for him and don’t overpay him in their minds.

So is this the end of Joey Porter Jr. in Pittsburgh? At one point, Mark Kaboly thought that Porter and the Steelers would reach a deal before the season. That never happened. Things could still take another turn.

However, the situation between Porter and the Steelers feels bad. Don’t be surprised if Joey Porter Jr. never suits up for the Steelers again.