Jalen Ramsey was blunt with his words.
Pittsburgh Steelers star Jalen Ramsey brought up Joey Porter Jr.'s contract situation unprompted while speaking to media members this week.
Ramsey wants the Steelers to pay Porter Jr.
"We need the whole secondary out there," Ramsey said. "They got to pay Joey Porter and we need got some other guys that are out as well. So the secondary has not been out there together yet, so I can't answer that for you. I'm overly in Joey's corner. Joey needs to get compensated for being a valuable part of this secondary and a valuable part of this defense and team."
Porter Jr. was placed on the PUP list after aggravating a back injury during the team's mobility workout on the first day of training camp. He last spoke with the media at minicamp in June and said he believed he had been a "lead" corner in the NFL since arriving in Pittsburgh and should be compensated as such.
In 14 games for the Steelers last season, Porter Jr. had one interception, 14 passes defended, one sack and 35 solo tackles.
Porter Jr. has a base salary of $3,924,000 and a cap hit of $4,922,790 this season. If the Steelers don't sign Porter Jr. to an extension, the talented defender will hit free agency next season.
The Steelers open the 2026 season against the Atlanta Falcons.
Only time will tell if Porter Jr. plays in that game, holds out or is on another team.
Porter Jr. has three interceptions and 31 passes defended in 47 games with the Steelers.
"I learned this in my early years as a head coach: You have to separate the business and football," Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said. "Sometimes it's easier than others. This is a challenge for both Joey and us because we're first-year staff. We've seen them play, compete against Joey.
"I would love the opportunity to coach Joey Porter. I know our defensive guys would love the opportunity. So we're at an impasse right here, and you've got to respect that. Every one of us has a contract. The organization, they have beliefs and so forth. But yeah, that's just kind of where we are."
