Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. might be the most notable name that’s popped up in trade rumors as the regular season draws closer. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract and is a prime extension candidate as a former Day 2 draft pick coming off his best season in 2025. However, the tenor of contract talks all offseason has not been positive. 

As Week 1 approaches, which is a deadline for a Steelers team that does not negotiate contracts in-season, the two sides remain at an impasse. In fact, “impasse” might even be underrating the extent of the divide, as the Steelers reportedly haven’t even put an offer on the table for Porter yet. 

That has the attention of other teams, who are wondering whether Pittsburgh truly would be open to parting with its 26-year-old top cover guy in the absence of a new contract. Normally it’d be hard to envision a playoff hopeful like the Steelers shipping out a key starter like Porter on the eve of the season, but then again it was just a year ago that the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons in the midst of another tense contract dispute. 

Moral of the story? You can never quite rule anything out in the NFL. 

What’s Going On Between Porter & Pittsburgh? 

NFL front office personnel will talk until they’re blue in the face about the importance of drafting and developing. Porter seems like he should be a textbook example for the Steelers. Pittsburgh landed him with the No. 32 overall pick in 2023, the first pick of the second round due to the Dolphins having to forfeit their first for tampering. The Steelers got this pick from the Bears in return for dealing disgruntled WR Chase Claypool, one of the bigger personnel wins for the team this decade. 

Porter started 11 games as a rookie, had double-digit pass deflections and earned some votes for defensive rookie of the year. He’s been a mainstay in the Pittsburgh starting lineup in his three years with the team. Add in the hometown fan favorite factor, as Porter is the son of former Steelers star OLB Joey Porter Sr. and grew up in Pittsburgh, and it seems like a no-brainer for the two sides to figure something out.  

So what’s the holdup? There have been breadcrumbs all offseason that the two sides have been struggling to get on the same page regarding contract value. NFL Media/ESPN reporter Ian Rapoport punctuated that with a report that Porter will reset the cornerback market on his next deal — whenever he signs it and whichever team he ends up signing with. 

You don’t have to have sources to read between the lines there and deduce that the Steelers are balking at the idea of investing that much into Porter. His camp’s stance isn’t without merit, either. Pro Football Focus ranked Porter as the No. 28 corner out of 112 qualifying players last season. He had 14 pass breakups and allowed a sub-50 percent completion percentage when targeted in coverage, along with no touchdowns and one interception. 

Those are really strong numbers, outside of the interception total. Porter has three picks in three seasons and that probably isn’t helping his case to the Steelers for top-end money. It also doesn’t help that the cornerback market is in such a weird place right now. The skyrocketing NFL salary cap has not been spread out across all positions. Quarterbacks, receivers, defensive linemen and even guards have seen more movement in their salary hierarchy than corners up until recently. 

The market has finally started to adjust in the last 18 months. Colts CB Sauce Gardner (with the Jets at the time) and Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. pushed the top of the market from $25 million a year to $30 million annually. Rams CB Trent McDuffie, Browns CB Denzel Ward and Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon have moved it to $33 million per year, and Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez could push it even further when/if he signs. 

I can understand Pittsburgh’s hesitancy to slot Porter ahead of that crew in terms of salary, but there’s also a valid argument that cornerbacks are past due for a market correction considering the receivers they’re primarily tasked with covering are making significantly more. The top of that market has breached $40 million annually and 13 wideouts make over $30 million annually compared to just five corners. There are some glaringly mispriced cornerback salaries where teams are getting great deals, including $19 million a year for Bears CB Jaylon Johnson and $24 million a year (eighth at the position) for Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II, although Surtain agreed to an adjusted deal this offseason to increase his pay. 

What’s Next? 

As an organizational policy, the Steelers do not negotiate contracts in season. If there’s no deal by Week 1, they’ll shut things down and re-open talks in the offseason. At that point, the franchise tag would be firmly in play for Pittsburgh to keep Porter on the roster and buy time to continue negotiating. The tag number will depend on the exact salary cap and how the corner market shakes out but a figure north of $25 million would probably be in the ballpark. 

The Steelers haven’t used the tag since 2020 when they franchised OLB Bud Dupree. He played out the tender and left in free agency the following offseason. Pittsburgh franchised RB Le’Veon Bell twice, and he played in 2017 before infamously sitting out the entire 2018 season for the second. They franchised OLB LaMarr Woodley in 2011 before later working out a long-term deal. They didn’t get as far as a franchise tag before trading WR George Pickens last offseason, and WR Diontae Johnson signed a shorter two-year extension just before the final year of his rookie contract back in 2022. 

So if history is any indication, this could go a ton of different ways. Porter has some influence here, too. He’s been on the PUP list with a back injury and hasn’t practiced yet in camp. Perhaps it’s a real injury but it seems just as likely that Porter’s back will start feeling much better with a dose of long-term financial security. If he doesn’t get that, it’s up to him on whether to force the issue or to focus on having the best possible performance in his contract year. 

Frankly speaking, the most likely outcome given the situation and the organizational history of the Steelers is either the two sides bridging the gap and working out a deal ahead of the Week 1 deadline, or Porter playing out this season before going through the process with the franchise tag in 2027. The Steelers are heavily invested in contending this year and trading their No. 1 corner would run antithetical to that. 

However. 

It has been notable to see multiple reporters not rule out a trade when discussing the situation. Steelers HC Mike McCarthy even said this week he would love to have the opportunity to coach Porter this year, which is interesting phrasing to say the least. Between Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., impressive third-round rookie Daylen Everette and, of course, Jalen Ramsey, the Steelers are better positioned than a lot of other teams would be to consider trading Porter, especially if there are indications he won’t be locked in without a new deal. 

If the Steelers aren’t valuing Porter as a top corner, which their hesitancy to pay up suggests, they could also be more willing to part with him for the right offer. We have seen Pittsburgh make similar trades recently. Both Claypool and Pickens were starters on rookie contracts like Porter, and in both situations there was some degree of disillusionment between team and player. The Claypool trade was executed ahead of the in-season deadline, while Pittsburgh dealt Pickens after the draft when the chances of landing a viable replacement were lower. 

In both situations, the Steelers felt the return (a second for Claypool, a third for Pickens) was too good to pass up. If another team comes in with an offer of a first-round pick, I’d think the Steelers would be hard-pressed to say no, especially with no clear long-term quarterback on the roster. Even a second-round pick could be sorely tempting. 

The natural next question becomes: are there any teams willing to give up that much for Porter? 

Potential Suitors

With one exception, it was tough to find many teams that fit the profile of a potential trade partner for the Steelers. Not only would this team need to have a need at cornerback, they would need to be a contender to justify the high acquisition cost of a premium pick plus a top-of-the-market contract. They’d also need to have the budget and draft picks to swing that deal. That’s before even considering things like scheme fit. 

Ultimately, I found one team that should be the heavy favorite if Pittsburgh does indeed decide to pull the trigger on a trade, with two other dark horses worth monitoring. 

Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been happy to tease the idea of Dallas making another big-time trade to fortify its defense. Jones is a well-known carnival barker but there are reasons to take him at his word this year. If the Cowboys make major strides on defense, they could be realistic Super Bowl contenders in 2026. 

Signing veteran OLB Von Miller was one step to improve the pass rush, leaving cornerback as a potential remaining need for Dallas. Veteran CB DaRon Bland has one spot locked down and first-round S Caleb Downs figures to be the primary nickel defender. At the other outside corner spot, it will be some combination of veteran Cobie Durant and last year’s third-rounder Shavon Revel, with fourth-round CB Devin Moore factoring into the depth. 

That could be perfectly fine, especially if Revel takes a big step forward. He was viewed as a potential first-round prospect before a torn ACL in his final college season at East Carolina. The reports on him out of camp have been positive. However, he was literally the last-ranked corner by PFF last season, so he’s far from a finished product. Durant was signed as insurance, and while he can be a decent stopgap measure, he’s not likely to be an impact player. 

If the Cowboys think they could be close to getting over the hump, they could get aggressive at pursuing an upgrade over Durant and Revel right now. They have picks in each of the first three rounds in 2027, although their first-rounder will be the lower of either the Jets or Packers’ selection. The salary might be a bigger hangup. They have $17 million in available cap space right now which should be enough to fit a new deal for Porter. They would need to get aggressive with a contract, though, because without it they could only franchise one of either him or Pickens in 2027. 

Dallas has a few other notable expiring deals in 2027, too, including LB DeMarvion Overshown, S Malik Hooker, LB Dee Winters and several other key depth and role players. There will probably need to be some juggling of the roster regardless of how 2026 plays out, but it’s at least interesting that Jones has expressed an admiration of the Rams this offseason, including how they’ll swing for the fences and figure out the roster impacts down the road. 

The bottom line is that Porter is a good player at a potential position of need for the Cowboys. If they see him as a foundational piece, it’s hard to rule out Dallas getting aggressive to land him. He was linked to the team during the pre-draft process back in 2023 and is a terrific fit for new DC Christian Parker’s scheme, so there are reasons to think the Cowboys would be very interested if Porter were truly available. 

New York Giants

The Giants don’t check as many boxes as the Cowboys do. While it’s clear the team expects to win more with new HC John Harbaugh in town, the new regime has been careful to manage expectations. Competing for a playoff spot is on the table but no one with the team is really getting over their skis beyond that. 

That makes the Giants less likely to pay up to get Porter out of Pittsburgh, even though they have a need at cornerback. However, New York does have a card that other teams can’t play — they could trade the Steelers back a corner to lessen the cost for themselves and make it easier for Pittsburgh to part with a starter. 

The Giants have no shortage of options at cornerback but they’re still trying to find the best fit for the new staff out of Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome, Deonte Banks and second-rounder Colton Hood. The rookie is probably last in the pecking order for now but long-term there are clearly high hopes. Newsome signed a one-year, prove-it contract this offseason and has run with the starters the most consistently this summer. 

Adebo got a big-time deal last year but has not meshed seamlessly with Harbaugh and the new defensive staff. His starting job is squarely in question despite his $17 million guaranteed salary. Meanwhile, Banks was a first-round pick in 2023 (taken ahead of Porter) and was viewed as a bust after a rough first three seasons. The Giants declined his fifth-year option in May. However, he’s looked rejuvenated in camp and has outplayed Adebo in practice. 

Porter would be an upgrade over that whole cast, which is one reason the Giants would still be interested. It’s also worth noting that Porter took a 30 visit with the Ravens and Harbaugh along with a visit to the Giants, so there’s at least some level of familiarity and interest. The Giants have significant Penn State connections from the players to the front office. 

If the Steelers are amenable to a package that looks something like Adebo or Banks and a mid-round pick, perhaps the Giants’ 2027 third (they have already traded their 2027 fourth), that could be a sweet spot for a potential deal. The Steelers are last in the league in cap space but they can create space to accommodate Adebo’s deal relatively easily with restructures. He’s also under contract through 2027. For either him or Banks, a fresh start with a new team could be what they need to rejuvenate their careers. 

If the Giants view Porter as a potential building block, this is a way to get him in the building at a reasonable price. If the Steelers don’t think Porter is worth paying like a top corner, this nets them a replacement starter plus more draft capital while preserving money that they think could be better spent. 

New Orleans Saints

The Saints might not cleanly fit the bill of “contending team” when thinking about potential trade partners for Porter. New Orleans was forced to hit the reset button last year following veteran QB Derek Carr’s shoulder injury, allowing them to focus on cleaning up their finances and playing some young players. They still had some work to do this offseason with restructures but for the first time in 2027 they will enter the offseason without being tens of millions in the red in terms of salary cap space. 

That stands out as an opportunity for the Saints to make a jump but the vibes in New Orleans are already noticeably higher for this year’s team. That’s because 2025 second-round QB Tyler Shough looked surprisingly competent and the Saints finished last year on a 5-3 run after he entered the starting lineup. Given the state of the NFC South, the Saints are a popular dark horse to win the division and make the playoffs this year. 

It feels like the Saints are waiting to evaluate Shough more before getting really aggressive but it is worth pointing out the organization’s long history of making big-time swings, whether in free agency or the trade market. If Saints GM Mickey Loomis decides they’re not a year away but can make some noise right now, Porter is a trade candidate worth watching. 

One of the big remaining needs on defense for the Saints is the No. 2 cornerback spot across from Kool-Aid McKinstry. Right now that’s being manned by 2025 fourth-round QB Quincy Riley, who flashed as a rookie, and veteran CB Martin Emerson who is trying to get his career back on track after tearing his Achilles last summer ahead of a contract season. If the team is eyeing 2027 as the real year to try and contend, that duo is perfectly competent to evaluate in 2026. 

If they want to go ahead and lock that spot down, though, a trade for Porter would give them a potentially outstanding long-term duo at cornerback between him and McKinstry. The Saints hosted Porter for a visit back in 2023 when he was coming out in the draft, so there was some interest. They also employ CB coach Grady Brown who was Porter’s position coach in Pittsburgh for his first two seasons, so there’s plenty of familiarity into how Porter will fit into their scheme and locker room. 

Perhaps this pairing makes more sense in 2027 if Porter is tagged and traded, or allowed to walk in free agency. Regardless of the timing, though, there are too many connections here to dismiss completely.