The more time that passes without the Pittsburgh Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. agreeing to a contact extension, the more the rumors will run rampant. And on the eve of the Steelers’ second preseason game, that’s exactly what happened.
Will the Steelers Consider Trading Joey Porter Jr.?
Late Thursday night, Jordan Schultz reported that NFL teams are wondering if Porter could be available in a trade. Of course, this stems from Porter being on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list since the start of training camp. Because while Porter is reportedly dealing with a back injury, many have osculated if he’s just being held out until his contract situation can be figured out.
But with the regular season fast approaching and little movement between the Steelers and their legacy Pro Bowl caliber cornerback, everything is on the table, and that may even include a potential trade, especially since it’s widely known that Pittsburgh operates under their long standing rule – they don’t entertain negotiations once the season kicks off.
Pittsburgh Doesn’t Negotiate During the Season
So with the clock ticking and the price going up for a player like Porter, will there eventually be a directive from team president Art Rooney II that the price is too steep and acquiring value back in a trade is only way to proceed?
As far as what type of player Porter has been in his three years in the NFL, he recorded 52 total tackles in 14 games last season. He also deflected 14 passes and picked off one. However, he’s two years removed from his best season of his young career yet. In 2024, Porter put up a career-high 70 combined tackles, 53 credited as solo, a couple tackles for a loss, seven pass deflections and an interception. He registered 43 tackles as a rookie.
A Porter Trade Would Be Emotional for Steelers Fans
A possible trade of Porter, 26, the son of the former popular Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr., does come with extra emotions for fans as well. Porter Sr. made four Pro Bowls and was part of a Super Bowl winning team in Pittsburgh. Fans fudged his son would enjoy similar, if not greater, success when the Steelers brought him home by selecting him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State.
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