The Pittsburgh Steelers have been more than willing to dish out money for new contracts this offseason. First, the team handed edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million contract. Not long after, the Steelers extended tight end Darnell Washington on a four-year $42 million deal. Most recently, the team gave defensive tackle Keeanu Benton a four-year $72 million contract. All of these players were a part of the 2023 draft class, but the biggest contract extension domino from the infamous 2023 class in cornerback
Joey Porter Jr. has yet to fall.
Appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler provided an update on the contract stalemate between the star corner and the Steelers. Fowler added that Porter Jr. may be upset that the franchise is prioritizing extensions with other players from his draft class.
“This one is a classic stalemate. I’m told the player has not been happy with the way things have gone because they paid other players,” Fowler said. “They haven’t made him a formal offer to measure with his skillset. He feels like he’s been a really good corner for them, and it’s a situation where they want him to play out the contract essentially because they haven’t made him an offer.”
Earlier in the week, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy described the contract situation as an “impasse” between the player and organization. This latest update suggests that Porter Jr. has some hard feelings about the way the organization has treated him compared to others from his draft class. The more we learn about the situation, the more it becomes clear that there is still a lot to work through.
All reports continue to suggest that the Steelers haven’t made the star corner an initial offer. With the regular season just about two weeks away, something is going to give between the Steelers and Porter Jr. Whenever a deal is made, Porter Jr. is expected to become one of the highest-paid defensive backs in the league, making upwards of $30 million per season.
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