Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. 'definitely' sees himself playing for Pittsburgh in 2026
Porter Jr. is in the final year of his rookie deal in 2026 and fresh off an outstanding 2025 campaign
• 2 min read
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. hoped to have a contract extension done by Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, and that obviously has not happened.
It's now Week 3, and Porter Jr. has yet to suit up for the Steelers this season. At 26, he is now in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and, fresh off an outstanding individual season in 2025, he was hoping to get paid. So, where do things stand heading into Week 3? He claims to be no longer bothered by entering the last year of his current contract without financial security.
"It didn't get done. It didn't happen. That's really just old news for me now. Just mainly focusing on what I got ahead of me and really just getting back to 100%," Porter Jr. said, via Mark Kaboly.
Porter Jr. has a solid argument to ask for a substantial raise after he led the NFL in passer rating against as the primary defender in coverage last season, with at least 60 pass attempts and a 49.1 rating. No other corner allowed a sub-50 passer rating against, so Porter can claim he was in a different stratosphere as a cover corner than the rest of the league the last time he took the field. Porter Jr. ranked ahead of other All-Pro and Pro Bowl cornerbacks who have received big paydays in recent years, like Patrick Surtain II (four years, $96 million), Derek Stingley Jr. (three years, $90 million) and Christian Gonzalez (four years, $135 million).
| NFL passer rating against as primary defender leaders, 2025 season, min. 60 pass attempts | Passer rating | Contract |
|---|---|---|
Joey Porter Jr. (PIT) | 49.1 | Rookie deal |
Quinyon Mitchell (PHI) | 53.8 | Rookie deal |
Pat Surtain II (DEN) | 59.7 | 4 years, $96M |
Derek Stingley Jr. (HOU) | 62.1 | 3 years, $90M |
Christian Gonzalez (NE) | 63.7 | 4 years, $135M |
Jaylen Watson (LAR) | 63.7 | 3 years, $51M |
When will Porter Jr. play this season?
So will Porter Jr. pull a Le'Veon Bell and sit out the entire season as Bell did in 2018 before leaving the Steelers for the New York Jets in free agency? Not according to the cornerback himself.
"Yeah, definitely," Porter Jr. said when asked if he would play this season.
In Week 1, Porter Jr. was inactive with a back injury after being a limited practice participant all week. In Week 2, Porter Jr. was ruled out because of a back injury and conditioning after being a limited practice participant all week. This week, the injury designation next to Porter Jr.'s name says "conditioning," with the back injury no longer listed, and he was once again a limited practice participant on Wednesday.
"I think the same as it's always been. Keep ramping up and doing what I can do," Porter Jr. said. "It's both [the back and conditioning keeping him from playing]. My back will have its moments where it flares up here and there, and we're still trying to get my conditioning down to me just being out there as much as possible. It's really just both."
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