Pittsburgh Steelers training camp opened with a familiar companion: drama. Steelers general manager Omar Khan addressed the media on Tuesday, rattling off players on the physically unable to perform list, including CB Donte Kent and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The name he didn’t mention at the podium, however, told a louder story. Joey Porter Jr., the ascending young cornerback locked in a contract extension standoff with Pittsburgh, was nowhere to be found in Khan’s remarks. Porter later surfaced on the PUP list himself, and the circumstances surrounding that designation raise serious questions.

The timing doesn’t add up

The cornerback was on the field during OTAs. He was on the field during minicamp. He looked fine the entire time. There were no reports from any outlet or reporter suggesting he sustained any kind of setback during the offseason program. Yet the moment training camp arrives, he’s suddenly physically unable to perform. Brooke Pryor of ESPN reported that Porter aggravated his back during the team’s conditioning drill, which is why he was placed on PUP, but that seems a little coincidental.

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The truth is, this has all the markings of the first stage of a hold-in. Porter wants to be paid like one of the top five corners in the NFL, if not higher. The Steelers have been slow-playing those negotiations. What Porter appears to be doing, in my opinion, is using the PUP list as a way to limit his exposure while negotiations continue.

Why the PUP list makes sense for both sides

The optics matter here. Pittsburgh doesn’t want it to look like one of its star corners, a legacy player no less, is holding in during training camp. Placing Porter on the PUP list and attributing it to a hamstring, a calf, or a lower back issue provides cover for both sides. When and if he gets his new contract, Porter will magically reappear on the practice field.

This isn’t unprecedented across the NFL, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the Steelers’ history with contract negotiations. The organization has always operated with a tight grip on its salary cap, and Porter’s camp clearly understands the leverage game well enough to push back without creating a full-blown holdout.

What it means for the Steelers moving forward

Does this sting for Steelers fans? Probably. You want one of your best players, a young and ascending talent, getting as many reps as possible during camp. Every day Porter spends off the field is a missed opportunity for chemistry building with the rest of the secondary, particularly with Ramsey already on the PUP list for what appears to be a legitimate reason.

The bottom line is, I’m not sure this changes the dynamic between the two sides. Porter wants top-of-market money. Pittsburgh wants to pay him on its own terms. The PUP designation is a pressure valve, not a resolution. The real question is how long this standoff lasts before one side blinks, because the Steelers cannot afford to enter the regular season without their best young defensive back on the field and fully engaged.