Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is expected to sit out Week 1 with a back injury with the fourth-year defensive back and Pittsburgh’s front office at “an impasse” in contract extension talks.
Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said Porter and the team have not been able to make progress on a long-term contract extension. ESPN reported Sunday morning Porter was “unlikely” to play against the Falcons in the regular-season opener.
According to the report, the Steelers are “listening” to offers for Porter. He has been listed as questionable this week.
Porter said at the end of training camp that he would consider not suiting up if the two sides didn’t make some type of progress toward a new deal. Porter requested a trade and informed the team he is open to moving elsewhere, ESPN reported.
“I mean, at the end of the day, it’s business, and I know what that is and I got my head straight to understand that,” Porter said Friday.
Since the end of the 2025 regular season, four cornerbacks have signed contracts with an average annual value of $30 million.
Porter, the son of former Steelers outside linebacker Joey Porter Sr., was the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 draft. He has three career interceptions in 47 regular-season games.
