It's official, the cornerback market saw another massive price increase, while the Pittsburgh Steelers are still struggling to get anything done with their extension with Joey Porter Jr.
On Monday, the New England Patriots signed Christian Gonzalez to an astonishing four-year, $135 million deal with $102 million guaranteed. Gonzalez's $33.75 million average annual value also means he's the highest-paid cornerback in the league, a new ceiling Porter and his agents can point to.
The #Patriots now have the highest-paid CB in the NFL: They have agreed to terms with star Christian Gonzalez on a four-year deal, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2026
The All-Pro and Pro Bowler gets a 4-year, $135M deal with $102M guaranteed. All record highs. pic.twitter.com/xfGJulj5cZ
Interestingly
enough, Porter and Gonzalez are both a part of the WIN Sports Group agency, which could mean Porter's camp has an even better idea of how to get his contract near the very top of the cornerback market.
The timing also matters, as Gonzalez's agency was able to get a deal done just two days before the Patriots-Seahawks matchup on Wednesday. Steelers fans could also see a last-minute contract signing for Porter before Pittsburgh's regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Although Porter was previously projected to become the highest-paid cornerback, it's hard to imagine the Steelers coughing up $34 million to make that happen. Still, any time the cornerback market's ceiling gets raised, Porter's contract value is surely following it.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. problem just got far more expensive
