It was no surprise to see the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field on Sunday and not have their budding star at corner, Joey Porter Jr., suited and ready. After all, Porter didn’t participate in any of camp, didn’t play a snap in the preseason, and has been in a ramp-up period following his removal from the PUP list.

What was surprising to hear or see, depending on your preferred medium, was the report from ESPN insiders Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and Jeremy Fowler, which stated that the situation between the Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. has eroded to the point that not only are all options on the table (as they have been), but that Porter Jr. has gone as far as to request a trade if the Steelers didn’t get a deal done.

The self-imposed Steelers deadline has passed (start of the season), which means that either Porter will play out his rookie deal the way the Steelers intend, or he will have to try and force the Steelers’ hand into a trade. So today’s exercise is a look into the latter. I had 5 of my colleagues at A to Z Sports send me mock trade offers, with one standing above the rest. Let’s dive in.

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Bears trade for the player they could have picked in the 2023 NFL Draft

Bears offer: 2027 second-round pick
Steelers offer: Joey Porter Jr.

“Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme would put Joey Porter Jr. in the best situation to maximize his strengths as a press-man corner. The Bears have some long-term question marks on the outside with Jaylon Johnson eyeing a new extension after this year and Tyrique Stevenson playing on the final year of his rookie deal. Ryan Poles took a swing once before sending a second-round pick to help the defense when he acquired and soon after paid Montez Sweat. I could easily see a similar move to land Porter and give the Bears a true long-term option at the cornerback position. And if they can work things out with Johnson’s deal/future, Chicago would have one of the top outside cornerback duos.” – Kole Noble, A to Z Sports Chicago Bears

Note: The Steelers traded Chase Claypool to the Bears for a 2023 second-round pick. That pick became Joey Porter Jr.

Joey Porter Jr. finds a perfect fit with former Steelers coach Brian Flores

Offer: Vikings send 2027 2nd and 2028 3rd to Steelers for Joey Porter Jr.

“After Sunday’s win over the Packers, you may look at the score and think the Vikings torched them. In the first half, Jordan Love was doing the torching. Byron Murphy Jr. was brutal on multiple occasions, getting torched by Christian Watson on one deep ball. Having someone like Porter Jr. who can be a legitimate threat in man coverage could elevate Brian Flores’ defense to another level. We’ve seen how the pressure packages are still there, now it’s time to maximize the coverage ability.” – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Vikings

Jets make a splash after Week 1 win

Offer: 2027 2nd & 4th round draft choices for Joey Porter Jr.

“It wasn’t all that long ago that the New York Jets were selling a long, young cornerback in his prime via trade. Now, they’re a logical fit to buy on Joey Porter Jr. The Jets’ secondary has plenty of young players but not a lot of definitive building blocks. Brandon Stephens is more of a short-term fix, anyway. And with the Jets having a stripped down payroll to go with a surplus of NFL Draft capital, they’re a perfect team to place a competitive bid for JPJ.”

“The Steelers will command a high compensation rate to consummate a trade — and the Jets have three first round picks to play with in 2027. Their offer here is their own 2nd & 4th round draft choices in the 2027 NFL Draft as a means of securing a long-term starter in his prime.” – Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Sports, Miami Dolphins and All NFL

49ers bolster the defense after strong showing in Week 1

Offer: 49ers receive Joey Porter Jr.; Steelers receive a 2027 first-round pick

“The 49ers showed their full potential in Week 1 with a beatdown of the Super Bowl favorites, the Los Angeles Rams, but the NFC West has repeatedly shown that you need to be aggressive to keep on the top there. While the Niners have solid cornerbacks in Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir, that’s a position where defensive coordinator Raheem Morris would take advantage of having more talent. By trading for Porter, the Niners could play more nickel, for example, and even move Lenoir back to the slot. It’s complicated to give up draft capital and a big contract like this, but Porter is still a young player, and the first-rounder should not be great based on the talent level of the roster.” – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay, All NFL

Cowboys trade for their 3rd former Steeler in less than 2 years

Cowboys offer: 2027 second-round pick, 2028 fifth-round pick

“If it wasn’t clear the Cowboys face an uphill battle to turn around the terrible 2025 defense they fielded last year, it should be clear now that they were run over by the New York Giants in Week 1. Does a cornerback like Porter Jr. fix their issues? Not really but I don’t think they look away from one of the best players that’s seemingly on the block right now. However, with arguably bigger needs at EDGE and LB, I’m not sure they go over the top with their offer.” – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Dallas Cowboys

Winning Offer: 49ers

Every offer was some combination of picks headlined by a second-rounder, but it was the 49ers who offered the best deal with the only first-rounder. To be totally honest, barring Joey Porter Jr. saying he will never play for the Steelers again, I don’t know if the Steelers would consider anything less than a first. Week 1 produced injuries and results that other teams won’t like, however, so perhaps a first-rounder is more attainable now than ever. And with the two sides at odds, that may be the Steelers’ best choice at this point.