The Pittsburgh Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. drama has reportedly hit an all-time low, as insiders now believe the damage may be irreparable and that he may have already played his last snap with the Steel City brand of football.
According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor and Jeremy Fowler, a source indicated that the situation between the Steelers and Porter is so bad that he may never suit up for Pittsburgh again.
"Thursday night, some close to the situation sensed a fracture in the relationship between Porter and the organization," Pryor and Fowler wrote. "'I don't know if he ever puts on a Steelers uniform again,' a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN. That leaves the Steelers and their homegrown talent in limbo, a place that seemed unlikely
when Porter arrived at Acrisure Stadium to greet his new coach in January."
Pryor and Fowler added that the most significant difference is how Porter values himself and how the Steelers view him. Apparently, the "core issue" is related to the "structure of the contract," specifically that the team precedent "doesn't fully guarantee a healthy portion of the contract."
It was previously believed that Porter was looking for guaranteed money similar to that of other recent cornerback extensions, like Christian Gonzalez's $102 million in total guarantees. Pittsburgh typically doesn't hand out guaranteed money as other teams have done, however, opting to only fully guarantee the first year.
The Steelers still hold all the power in this situation, however, as Porter, if healthy, must play out the final year of his rookie contract, or he could face significant fines. The team can also franchise tag him following the 2026 season to attempt negotiations once again, which could be the most likely scenario if Porter isn't traded.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including injury updates and Pittsburgh's exciting Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers get bad news on Joey Porter Jr.'s future in Pittsburgh
