The Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. are in the middle of a contract standoff, and there is some real doubt about whether a deal will be agreed upon.
He was recently activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP), which will allow him to return to practice. But he could continue to sit out amid this contract standoff.
Steelers' general manager Omar Kahn revealed his stance, which Alan Saunders of Steelers Now shared. Kahn is clearly putting the onus on Porter amid this standoff, as he's shifting any blame for his absence on Porter, not the Steelers.
"Not just Joey, but anyone that we feel is healthy and available to us, we expect to practice. He got taken off [the PUP]. Our medical staff felt that he was good to go," Kahn said.
While Kahn didn't initially reveal any insight into Porter's potential return to practice, a follow-up question did get a noteworthy answer from Kahn.
"Joey knows how we feel about him, and I still hope he finishes his career here," Kahn said of Porter's contract standoff.
But that wasn't all. Kahn also confirmed that the Steelers' policy of not negotiating contract extensions during the season will "remain in place."
That means the Steelers have just a few weeks to get a contract done, if they want to sign him at all, which has become a real question for Pittsburgh this offseason.
Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared that the "league-wide belief" is that the Steelers haven't made a strong offer for Porter this offseason. That has led to Porter emerging as a potential trade target.
Kahn is putting the ball in Porter's court, as he's expressing his belief that the star cornerback will practice after being activated off the PUP, despite the contract standoff potentially leading Porter to sit out.
If that were to happen, and Porter sits out despite Kahn publicly expressing his belief Porter will suit up, then the Steelers would have a real problem on their hands.
If they aren't going to break from their policy to sign Porter during the season, and they aren't trying especially hard to sign him long-term, and Porter is sitting out practice, this standoff could get ugly.
