As they proved at 8-9 in 2025, the Carolina Panthers are in a very winnable division—and they just spent a significant amount of money to upgrade their roster in an attempt to move up to the next tier of potential contenders. But the injury bug has gotten in their way.
Up front, Carolina's offensive line has been missing starting tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton. The unit will now also be without their top player in starting left guard Damien Lewis, who is expected to be sidelined with an elbow injury here in Week 4.
The situation is just as bad on the other side of the ball—where cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, like Lewis, went down in Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Horn (quad) and Jackson (groin), one of the league's
top cover tandems, were both placed on injured reserve on Wednesday morning.
It's too early to give up on this campaign, so the Panthers should consider making a trade for a cornerback to help bridge the gap. On that note, Joey Porter Jr. of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the best on the market—per Krisopher Knox at Bleacher Report.
Knox writes:
Now, the Steelers are "willing to listen" to trade offers for Porter, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, and have received inquiries from teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. The interest is understandable, as Porter has been an above-average starter since midway through his rookie season. Pittsburgh's interest in trading him is also understandable. He will be a free agent in 2027, and the Steelers don't negotiate with players after the start of the season.
Bleacher Report estimates Porter can be gotten for a second-round pick, which is admittedly a high price to pay. But Porter is a legitimate star who could hold down the fort and complete the picture at cornerback once Jackson and Horn are healthy again.
In 47 games, Porter has posted three interceptions, 31 pass breakups and 165 combined tackles. He's only allowed one touchdown in coverage in his career to go with a 71.2 passer rating.
Adding Porter to the mix would enable the Panthers to make Horn a full-time slot corner or have him tail opposing No. 1 wideouts wherever they line up—and it might just give Carolina the best starting cornerback trio in the entire league.
If they're going to become a true contender again, the Panthers are going to have to make a couple aggressive trades at some point, anyway. This one is worth a phone call, at least.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers should be eyeing Steelers star CB as potential trade target
