It appears the Pittsburgh Steelers will break training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, this week without resolving their biggest piece of unfinished business from the offseason.
Top cornerback Joey Porter Jr. remains unsigned to a contract beyond 2026, even after deals for all of his key 2023 NFL Draft classmates have been completed.
Defensive lineman Keeanu Benton was the latest to sign Aug. 14, inking a four-year extension worth up to $72 million. Linebacker Nick Herbig got four years and $100 million in early June. And tight end Darnell Washington followed soon thereafter with another four-year deal with $42 million.
Notably, all
three players hold less prominent roles than Porter. Benton has been a starter in the past but is listed as the backup to Cam Heyward at defensive tackle on the latest depth chart. Yahya Black is listed as the starter at Benton’s former nose tackle spot.
Herbig sits behind both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith at the pass-rushing outside linebacker slots within the 3-4 defensive scheme. He’ll likely play more in 2026 to keep the two starters fresh, but he is not himself a starter yet.
Washington, meanwhile, is listed as the backup to Pat Freiermuth. He’s an important run blocker – basically an extra offensive lineman at 6-foot-7, 264 pounds. He’s also valuable as a big red zone target for QB Aaron Rodgers. Coach Mike McCarthy is expected to use more three wide receiver sets than former OC Arthur Smith did a year ago, though, which may limit Washington’s contributions in the passing game.
There’s no "but" attached to Porter’s role. He’s the undisputed top cornerback for new DC Patrick Graham’s defense. Both now, and for the foreseeable future. Jamel Dean was signed to man the other starting cornerback slot this offseason, but he’ll turn 30 in October and has a shorter proverbial runway than Porter, who’s 26 and entering his physical prime.
Porter has started since midway through his rookie season in 2023, when he was selected as the top pick of the second round. He’s been great analytically. For his career, he’s allowed receptions on just 54.7% of the occasions when opposing offenses have targeted him, according to Pro Football Focus data.
The number dropped to 47.8% last season. It was the eighth-best mark for any cornerback who played at least 200 snaps in 2025. Opponents passed for just 325 yards total when targeting him, which averages out to about 19 yards allowed per game.
So it’s natural that Porter sees himself as one of the best young corners in the game and wants to be paid accordingly.
It’s also natural for the Steelers to possibly see something else. Among the knocks on Porter have been penalties and a lack of ball production.
Fans will remember that he led all NFL cornerbacks in flags in 2024 with 17. That included six in a Week 13 game at Cincinnati, which the Steelers needed a huge day from then-quarterback Russell Wilson to escape with a victory. That number dropped to nine in 2025, but still put him in a tie for the 10th-most flags at his position.
Pair that reputation for handsiness with just three interceptions since he broke into the NFL, and it’s understandable why GM Omar Khan may be reluctant to just give Porter whatever he wants. Something likely in the neighborhood of draft classmate Devon Witherspoon’s four-year, $132 million deal with Seattle signed over the weekend. Or Denzel Ward’s two-year extension in Cleveland, also worth more than $30 million per season. And so we seemingly have a stalemate.
"You know, we have the rule that once the season starts, we don't do any contracts and we focus on football," Khan told reporters about the situation last week. "There are still a few weeks left, so we will see how that goes."
Porter has not been seen on the practice field at all during training camp. Coach Mike McCarthy has blamed a back injury that "flared up" during the team’s mobility test, but it’s possible that’s just light cover for a hold-in.
For his part, Porter has mostly deferred comment on the situation to his agent while stating his desire to get in there.
"I want to be out there," Porter told reporters in June during mandatory minicamp, when he was also limited. "Everybody knows I want to be out there. So, I’m just doing everything I can and take it day by day."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steelers running out of time for new deal with top CB Joey Poter Jr.
