Joey Porter Jr. is back on the practice field, but his long-term future with the Pittsburgh Steelers remains anything but settled. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler dropped a revealing report Wednesday morning that laid bare the complications surrounding the cornerback’s contract situation, and the picture he painted suggests this saga is far from over.

Porter’s guarded response to Week 1 questions

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Tuesday that he fully expected Porter to be at practice, and the third-year cornerback was indeed out there. Porter spoke to the media afterward, and when asked whether he would play in the Steelers’ Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, he kept his answer measured. The question of whether he plays, Porter said, is one for the guys upstairs and his agent. He’s here right now, and that’s all that matters.

It was a diplomatic non-answer, and it told you everything you needed to know about where things stand between the two sides. But the key here, is that we have finality in this saga. That would be Week 1 of the regular season. The Steelers never negotiate contracts in-season. Omar Khan confirmed that won’t change, and now, that tactic could determine the future of a home grown, legacy player.

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Fowler reveals depth of frustration

Then came Fowler’s report Wednesday, which added significant context. The longtime Steelers reporter turned NFL insider surveyed a number of ongoing contract situations across the league, but none stood out quite like Porter’s.

Fowler wrote:

“This is probably the most complicated of them all. Momentum for a deal hasn’t been there. My sense is the player has been frustrated that despite his status as a high-level man corner, he hasn’t been made a priority. The 2023 draft picks getting paid by Pittsburgh, of course, linebacker Nick Herbig and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, who received 4-year extensions this summer, play smaller roles.”

That last part is the key. Porter has watched teammates from his own draft class lock up extensions while he, arguably the most talented of the group, waits. For a player who views himself as a premier man-coverage corner in the NFL, that has to sting.

3 paths forward for the Steelers

Fowler went on to report that everything remains on the table for Pittsburgh: an extension, the franchise tag, and even listening to trade offers. So the question becomes, which route do the Steelers take? The way I see it, there are three realistic outcomes.

Option 1: Both sides put their swords down and get a deal done. The regular season is a little over a week away. There is still time to hammer out a long-term contract extension before Week 1 against Atlanta. This is the cleanest resolution for both parties.

Option 2: Porter bets on himself. The Steelers say fine, they play out the 2026 season, and Pittsburgh slaps the franchise tag on him next offseason. From there, the two sides once again attempt to negotiate a long-term deal. It’s messier, but it keeps Porter in black and gold for the foreseeable future.

Option 3: A trade. This possibility was discussed last week, and while many in the media dismissed it, Fowler’s report has given it renewed life. The truth is, for Pittsburgh to move a cornerback of Porter’s caliber, you’re talking about serious draft capital. I don’t believe the Steelers should even consider anything less than a first-round pick in return. Accepting less than that for a lockdown man-coverage corner who is entering the prime of his career would be criminal in my opinion.

The bottom line

Porter may not be the best corner in the league, and he may not command the absolute top of the market. But he is a legitimate No. 1 cornerback, a player who can erase receivers in man coverage and one who will make a lot of money wherever he ends up. That profile demands premium compensation, whether it comes from the Steelers in the form of an extension or from another team in the form of high-end draft picks.

This situation is not slowing down anytime soon. If anything, Fowler’s report only turned up the heat.