Pittsburgh Steelers star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. spoke out with concerning comments amid his contract standoff.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an ongoing contract standoff with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. as the 2026 NFL season is about to begin. Should the two sides be unable to work out an extension before Week 1, the team has made it clear that they won't discuss an extension during the season.
Porter is looking to get paid. He wants to be paid as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.
Some believe that he is worth of that kind of raise. Others don't think he has done enough to warrant the Steelers coughing up that big of a check.
With that being said, the situation is quickly becoming a dangerous one for both parties.
As the regular season draws closer by the day, Porter has now spoken out with a clear warning to Pittsburgh. He has hinted that he could end up sitting out regular season games.
Pro Football Talk shared his most recent comments about the situation. He was responding to a question about whether or not he would be on the field in Week 1 if a new contract doesn't come his way.
“I don’t know. I would have to talk to the guys upstairs and my agents about that one,” Porter said.
Losing Porter would be a devastating blow for the Steelers' secondary. However, the team does have enough talent at the position that they could survive for a short period of time without him.
At the cornerback position alongside of Porter, Pittsburgh has talent like Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Daylen Everette, and Jalen Ramsey. Granted, the unit looks much better and more dangerous with Porter on the field.
No one can blame Porter for wanting a new contract extension. At 26 years old, he has played well throughout his first three seasons and wants to capitalize to avoid the risk of an injury hurting his market.
Throughout his first three seasons in the NFL, Porter has played in 47 games. He has racked up 165 total tackles to go alon gwith a sack, three interceptions, and 31 defended passes.
Whether or not the two sides will be able to hammer out a new deal remains to be seen. There isn't much time remaining for Week 1 for the standoff to be concluded.
If they don't get a new deal done, the Steelers could very well be forced to play without Porter in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.
