As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for their season opener, all eyes are on star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and his unresolved contract situation. While fans may grow anxious as kickoff approaches, general manager Omar Khan is operating in familiar territory, drawing on a long history of taking negotiations down to the wire.
Khan learned the craft under former general manager Kevin Colbert, establishing a pattern of securing deals right before game day. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo highlighted this trend during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, noting that late agreement dates are a staple of Pittsburgh’s front-office philosophy.
"Troy Polamalu on a Saturday, Cortez Allen on a Saturday night," Fittipaldo pointed out. "And there's
a common denominator there. Omar Khan is the GM now, but Omar was the one who was negotiating all those contracts for all those years under Kevin Colbert. So Omar is very comfortable in these situations."
Fittipaldo added that Khan is unbothered by tight deadlines, emphasizing that "he doesn't care if it goes up until, you know, 11:59 on Saturday night, if you're looking to play a game of chicken, I think Omar is very comfortable in those shoes."
However, Porter possesses significant leverage from a football perspective. Pittsburgh’s secondary depth is dangerously thin, especially after injuries forced scheme adjustments across the safety and cornerback rooms. Facing formidable opposing wide receivers early in the schedule makes playing without Porter a risky proposition for the defense.
While Khan holds firm in business negotiations, the Steelers can ill afford a prolonged absence on the field. All signs indicate Porter is practicing and preparing to play, but whether a deal gets signed before Saturday night's final deadline remains the ultimate game of high-stakes chicken.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why Omar Khan is okay taking Joey Porter's contract down to deadline
