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ESPN’s Aaron Schatz argued signing cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is the last thing the Pittsburgh Steelers need to do this offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have already signed two players from their 2023 draft class to contract extensions this offseason. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who the Steelers selected at No. 32 overall in 2023, could be next.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz argued this week that should be the case. On Wednesday, Schatz named the Steelers extending Porter on a new contract the “final NFL offseason move” the team should make.
“Porter was taken at the top of the second round in the 2023 draft, so he’s coming to the end of his rookie deal. There’s no fifth-year option at play here, so the Steelers need to re-sign him now to keep him around,” wrote Schatz.
“Porter is a very talented cornerback who finished 10th in the league in my coverage DVOA metric last season.”
Last season, Porter posted 52 combined tackles with 14 pass defenses, one interception and one sack. He’s registered 31 pass defenses and three interceptions in 47 NFL games.
Projecting Porter’s Contract Value
GettyESPN’s Aaron Schatz argued signing cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is the last thing the Pittsburgh Steelers need to do this offseason.
Porter is an intriguing extension candidate, which is probably why he hasn’t received one yet.
The Steelers signed both edge rusher Nick Herbig and tight end Darnell Washington to new deals during offseason workouts. Meanwhile, Porter is still waiting on his next deal.
Porter goes a little unnoticed on the team’s defense. Pundits have argued he doesn’t deserve to be one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league. Even though Schatz sees Porter worth of a new deal, he warned that Porter shouldn’t reset the cornerback market with his next contract.
“The problem is that Porter will want top-five cornerback money, and there isn’t necessarily evidence that he belongs in that stratosphere,” wrote Schatz. “Perhaps the Steelers can get him to agree to something that might be higher than they want to go but lower than what players such as Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner recently got paid.”
At times over his three seasons, Porter has been too grabby in coverage and committed too many penalties.
But he has also often taken the responsibility to covering the other team’s top wideout. More often than not, he’s excelled in that role, as evident by the defensive metrics Schatz referenced.
At Pro Football Focus last season, Porter finished with one of the best 20 overall grades among cornerbacks who played at least 50% of his team’s defensive snaps.
Spotrac projected Porter to be worth $70.3 million on a 3-year contract. That would give the cornerback a $23.4 million average annual salary.
From an average annual salary perspective, that would rank Porter sixth among cornerbacks. The total value of his contract, though, would sit outside the top 10 at the position.
Joey Porter Jr. Entering Final Season of Rookie Contract
GettyCornerback Joey Porter Jr. is entering his fourth season with the Pittsburgh Steelers this fall.
Porter was the No. 32 overall pick in 2023. That selection is typically a first-rounder but three years ago, the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round choice. Porter was the first selection of the second round.
That’s important because, as a second-rounder, Porter didn’t have a fifth-year option in his rookie deal.
So unless the Steelers sign the cornerback to a new contract this summer, he will enter the season in a contract year.
The Steelers have added veteran cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Jamel Dean over the last two offseasons. But those additions have been an effort for Pittsburgh to support Porter — not an indication the team has been unpleased with him.
Porter will enter this fall as the team’s top cornerback and presumably a defensive cornerstone that the franchise wants to build around going forward.
Porter’s father, Joey Porter Sr., played eight years for the Steelers, winning a Super Bowl. He also served as a position coach under Mike Tomlin.
That likely won’t play a role in the contract negotiation. But that history will give a Porter extension extra meaning.
In a perfect world, the extension will come before the offseason officially ends when training camp starts in July.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb