Much of the talk after Devon Witherspoon signed a new four-year, $132 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks has centered on how much money New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez could land.
However, that contract also changes a ton for other players, including Pittsburgh Steelers corner Joey Porter Jr.
Porter has been one of the more above-average corners in the NFL over the past few years since entering from Penn State, but isn't the same caliber of player as Witherspoon and Gonzalez.
As of right now, there's a very slim chance that he's going to get anything close to that type of money.
However, it does mean the Steelers won't have an easier time getting something done. Porter obviously hasn't been too excited about whatever is going on behind the scenes contract-wise, and this only complicates things further.
“The Seattle Seahawks agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension with cornerback Devon Witherspoon over the weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes more than $101 million guaranteed and carries an average annual value of $33 million, making Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
“That does not necessarily mean Porter should receive $33 million per season from Pittsburgh. However, it does mean the Steelers’ negotiations with their top cornerback probably aren’t getting any easier,” Joe Kuzma wrote.
Contract situations are always really tough to get a feel for.
Often, these players sign new deals without people even realizing negotiations are happening behind closed doors. For the Steelers, it isn't the case with Porter, obviously, but there’s still a lot to figure out, and Pittsburgh clearly hasn't done so yet.
Porter Jr. is a really good player and should find himself getting paid handsomely at some point over the next few months. It remains uncertain where things stand, but there's no debate he's going to get paid.
Whether that's in Pittsburgh is the question that no one knows. The Steelers have a lot to figure out over the next few months, and a bad season could ultimately make them go in a different direction, one that doesn't have Porter Jr. involved in it.
