The Pittsburgh Steelers' contract negotiations with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. have reached a critical inflection point. By officially activating Porter off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, the team ended his summer medical isolation, formally transitioning his situation into a classic "hold-in" as Week 1 approaches.
While a minor back issue provided initial cover during training camp, removing him from the PUP list eliminates medical excuses and places the clock directly on both sides. On his podcast, “Kaboly and Mack,” longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly emphasized that the dynamic has officially shifted.
"He's off the PUP. Right now, you're officially in that holdout territory, you're officially in that hold-in portion where
you have no excuse of 'I got a boo-boo back,' which we know might have been exaggerated," said Kaboly.
Rumors have circulated regarding Porter’s potential frustration over the front office prioritizing extensions for teammates like Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington, and Keeanu Benton. However, Kaboly downplayed locker room friction, noting that massive cornerback contracts naturally require extended deliberation:
"There's not one player mad that somebody else gets paid. Why didn't we do him first? Well, because you're getting paid $30 million. You can possibly have $150 million deal. Those things sometimes take time."
With the Steelers maintaining a strict policy against conducting contract negotiations during the regular season, finding common ground before kickoff remains imperative. Neither a baseline $18 million annual salary nor an inflated $30 million request reflects realistic leverage. As Kaboly noted, a logical resolution exists if both parties compromise.
"It just makes sense for him to meet them in the middle,” added Kaboly. “It's going to be somewhere in the low-to-mid 20s, and if everybody can just agree on that, then go ahead, find the numbers that make sense for everybody, and get it done."
With the regular-season kickoff fast approaching, the onus now falls on both sides to settle on a middle ground before the team’s firm deadline brings talks to a complete halt. Securing an extension would eliminate a major distraction for the secondary, allowing Pittsburgh to pivot its full focus toward competing in a demanding AFC North.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: What Joey Porter Jr. removal from PUP means for Week 1 status
