Joey Porter Jr.’s contract extension is one of the last big pieces of business for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take care of this offseason. They’ve already paid other players from his draft class in Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington. Porter is just as deserving of a nice payday, especially after his 2025 season. He took significant steps forward and looked like a true No. 1 corner.
However, recent reports indicate that the two sides aren’t close on a deal. Porter shouldn’t settle if the Steelers don’t want to pay him top money, though. Instead, he should bet on himself.
It’s unclear what Porter is currently looking for in an extension. It’s likely that he’s seeking something in the range of $30 million per year. That’s the going rate for top corners in today’s NFL, with Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner, and Derek Stingley Jr. each coming in around that number.
The Steelers are likely a little hesitant to throw that kind of money at Porter, though, especially when you compare what he’s done to those other corners making around $30 million annually. All three of them have been First-team All-Pros at least once, with Stingley and Gardner each earning the honor twice.
Meanwhile, Porter has yet to even make a Pro Bowl. While those accolades aren’t everything, they’re important in proving what level a player is at.
If Porter comes out and improves upon what he did in 2025, then any deal he signs that isn’t for top money could quickly become a bargain for the Steelers. That’s good for the team, but bad for him.
That could be especially true if Porter finally bumps his interception numbers up. That’s arguably the biggest criticism of his game, with the young corner only picking off three passes in his three NFL seasons. However, if he even has three interceptions in 2026 to go along with his impressive coverage skills, then his value could shoot up. Suddenly, $30 million per year could look like a good deal for Porter.
Also, the price for a No. 1 corner is only going to go up. Young stars like Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon are due for extensions soon. They both had their fifth-year options exercised, so their teams could wait for next offseason to pay them. However, they’re both considered among the best up-and-coming corners in the NFL, so they’re going to get nice paydays.
Gonzalez specifically could help build Porter’s case for more money. He’s a little more accomplished than Porter, with a Pro Bowl and a Second-team All-Pro to his name. However, they had similar seasons last year, with Porter even having more interceptions than Gonzalez.
The chance of an injury and the looming threat of the franchise tag could both stop Porter from holding out for a bigger deal this year. It’s risky, but it might be worth it in the long run. Porter’s case to be one of the NFL’s highest-paid corners has holes right now. However, it could become undeniable if he shows out in 2026.