Joey Porter contract: Steelers cornerback rejected lucrative contract extension, per report

Porter did not play in Pittsburgh’s first two games and has been at odds with the Steelers since the offseason

Another layer has been added to the ongoing saga that is Joey Porter Jr.'s status with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss to the Patriots, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette told 102.5 WDVE (via Steelers Depot) that Porter rejected a contract extension that would have paid him slightly over $27 million for the 2026 season. If Dulac's report is accurate, the Steelers offered Porter a deal that would have made him the seventh-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL by average annual value. The deal would have put him just ahead of Carolina's Jaycee Horn (who makes an average of $25 million annually) and just below Houston's Derek Stingley Jr.

($30 million). Porter, 26, is in the final year of his rookie contract after he and the Steelers were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal this summer. Given Pittsburgh's longstanding tradition of not discussing contracts with players once the regular season starts, it appears that Porter will play the 2026 season under his rookie contract unless the Steelers either go against their policy or he is traded. Porter was inactive during the Steelers' first two games, citing a back injury. During Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss to the Patriots, CBS Sports lead NFL sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson reported that the Steelers have cleared Porter of his