PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joey Porter Jr. spent the last three seasons becoming exactly who the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him to be: an emerging shutdown corner capable of neutralizing the most dynamic playmakers in a conference littered with elite quarterbacks and where big, physical defenders on the outside are in short supply.
As the rangy 6-foot-2 Porter began the final year of his rookie contract, there was an assumption on both sides that a new deal
would get done before the 2026 season began.
Standing in the sun outside the team's facility in early June at the start of mandatory minicamp, Porter seemed upbeat talking about what seemed like an eventuality.
Asked if he considered himself one of the top cornerbacks in the league and if it was important for him to be compensated as such, Porter didn't hesitate.
"I feel like I was an elite guy since I’ve been in this league,” said Porter, who didn't allow a touchdown pass in 2024 or 2025. “And I’m happy that I’m getting the respect that I feel I (am) owed.”
That “respect,” at least Porter's version of it, never materialized from the team he once served as a ball boy for. While the Steelers put together deal after deal with Porter's 2023 draft classmates — from Nick Herbig to Darnell Washington to Keeanu Benton — talks between Porter's reps and Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan stalled.
As the opener neared, Porter admitted it was difficult to take his emotions out of the equation. One week's absence due to a back injury whose severity was nebulous at best turned into two, then three, and then four when Porter left practice on Wednesday and the team ruled him out.
A few hours later, he was traded to Dallas. Hours later, Pittsburgh's secondary faltered in crucial moments in a 27-24 loss to Cleveland that dropped the Steelers to 2-2.
“I never really got the chance to coach Joey,” first-year coach Mike McCarthy said afterward. “He obviously did some great things here.”
Apparently not enough for the Steelers to pay Porter the money he was seeking, a somewhat curious decision considering how valuable players with Porter's unique skill set are.
Seattle and New England rode their excellent defenses to the Super Bowl in February. The champion Seahawks lavished Devon Witherspoon with a new contract in August and the Patriots did the same with Christian Gonzalez on the eve of the season.
While Porter doesn't quite have their respective resumes — he's never made the Pro Bowl or been named All-Pro — he was trending in that direction. Unlike most of the stars on the league's highest-paid defense, Porter is entering his prime, not transitioning out of it.
Perhaps even more vitally, the Steelers have no heir apparent.
Last Sunday, Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins toyed with a Porter-less secondary in a game the Bengals might have won if not for a pair of special teams gaffes.
On Thursday night, a seemingly rejuvenated Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson passed for 268 yards, 60 of which came after a second-quarter communication mix-up by rookie Daylen Everette allowed Cleveland wideout Denzel Boston to shake loose on a drive that ended with the Browns taking the lead.
Pittsburgh's decision to not negotiate with Porter once the season started — a longstanding club policy — seems counterproductive for a team trying to “win now."
The retiring Aaron Rodgers and his $20-plus million paycheck will be off the books next season. The team could also move on from some older defensive stars or restructure contracts to provide salary cap relief.
The cap figures will go up again next spring and there will almost certainly be no franchise QB to pay. The money for Porter was there if the Steelers felt compelled to find it. Khan, like every other GM in the NFL, is skilled in the art of massaging the numbers to make things work.
The club ultimately decided Porter wasn't worth it.
And now they have to find a way to slow down Burrows, Lamar Jackson and maybe even Watson to keep pace in the AFC North. And if they want any shot of making a dent in the playoffs, they'll likely have to stop other elite QBs — Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes come to mind — without their best outside cornerback.
Porter was uniquely valuable to the Steelers, and the decision to let him go may sting them for some time.
Giving Jaylen Warren the football. The relentlessly punishing running back had another 126 total yards on Thursday and is on pace for a career year.
Longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward cautioned some things wouldn't be as sharp on a short week and Pittsburgh's poor tackling proved him right.
Wide receiver DK Metcalf seems to have shaken off the drops that dogged him in early September. Metcalf caught five passes for 115 yards and looked like a threat every time he touched the ball.
The late decision-making on both sides of the ball. Pittsburgh's zone played too soft against Watson on Cleveland's game-winning drive. Rodgers opting to chuck it deep on the Steelers' final snap rather than use the middle of the field and call a timeout to set up a long field goal attempt was ill-advised.
Second-year defensive tackle Derrick Harmon spent the second half on the sideline with his left foot in a walking boot. Cornerback Jamel Dean exited with an ankle injury.
0-10 — Pittsburgh's record on the road on Thursday nights against AFC North opponents.
Spend the weekend recovering physically and mentally before regrouping to host Indianapolis on Oct. 11.
___
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
