The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a lot of business this offseason, including extending several members of their 2023 draft class. LB Nick Herbig, TE Darnell Washington, and DT Keeanu Benton all received solid paydays. However, CB Joey Porter Jr. is still waiting for an extension. He’ll be a free agent after this season, and he’s a quality starting cornerback. Still, Pittsburgh has yet to give him an extension.

Meanwhile, the cornerback market is only growing. Seattle Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon just reset the market with a deal worth $33 million per year. His deal caused former Steelers cornerback Joe Haden to sound the alarm on Porter’s negotiations with Pittsburgh.

“It’s not looking good,” Haden said Monday on his Deebo and Joe podcast. “It gets to a point where the Steelers, I understand you want to sign them earlier than later because ain’t nothing gonna happen but the bag’s gonna continue to go up. At first, I’m looking at $25 [million per year]. If we could get him for $25, $26, $27 [million per year], I was hoping that was gonna be the sweet area…

“If I’m [Porter], I’m feeling undervalued, I’m not feeling appreciated because, at the same time, there [are] people in your locker room that came in [at] the same time as you, and it’s like, ‘I didn’t do nothing different… I’m the starting corner, I’ve been balling.’”

Witherspoon’s deal didn’t raise the cornerback market too much. However, it still went up, and Porter is likely using that as part of his negotiation tactics. He isn’t as accomplished as Witherspoon, but he’s still the Steelers’ No. 1 corner, a position that usually isn’t cheap.

This isn’t the first time that the Steelers have found themselves in a situation like this, either. T.J. Watt sought a contract extension last offseason, as did many of the league’s other top edge rushers. Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby got paid before Watt, which increased his price. Had they gotten business done with their star pass rusher sooner, then perhaps they could’ve paid him less.

On that same podcast, James Harrison theorized what Porter could be looking for now.

“I can’t go for less than $28 [million per year] now. Honestly, $30 [million per year].”

Porter would love to get an extension worth $30 million per year, but that might be a little out of his range. Only five cornerbacks are making that kind of money: Witherspoon, Denzel Ward, Trent McDuffie, Derek Signley Jr., and Sauce Gardner. All of those players are more proven than Porter is.

However, he could get close to that number, especially if New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez resets the market again. Haden is correct that Porter’s asking price is likely only increasing.

It’s unclear what will happen if the Steelers and Porter don’t complete a deal before the season begins. The Steelers don’t negotiate contract extensions during the season. Porter spent training camp on the PUP list due to a back injury, but that could’ve just been another part of his negotiation tactics.

The Steelers need him on the field, so they should try to find a middle ground to keep him in Pittsburgh. However, that’s much easier said than done. It’s a complicated situation with no end in sight yet.