The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing a big question about Joey Porter Jr. heading into the 2026 NFL season. He's seeking a new contract, and the Steelers and Porter still haven't agreed on a deal.
There is still time before the season begins, but if Week 1 comes around and no extension is done, the Steelers will likely wait until the offseason to sign him if they decide to keep him long-term.
With the deadline to make initial 53-man rosters on Sunday, the Steelers made one decision with Porter that was called their "biggest move" by ESPN's Brooke Pryor. While it wasn't a contract extension, it was the activation of Porter from the PUP.
"Biggest move: The Steelers were active in the trade market on roster cut-down weekend, but the most significant move was activating cornerback Joey Porter Jr. off PUP, meaning he won't have to miss the first four games of the season," Pryor writes.
The Steelers made two very noteworthy trades this August right before rosters were finalized. They sent Broderick Jones to the Dallas Cowboys and Kaleb Johnson to the Green Bay Packers.
Both of those moves were significant ones, but the activation of Porter off the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) is a huge one for the Steelers.
If he were still on PUP at the onset of the season, he'd have to miss the first four weeks of the year. Now, he has a chance to return within one of those first four games of the 2026 season for Pittsburgh.
There is still obviously a question about his future, not only with his contract status, but with his chances to return to the field from this injury as well.
Of course, his placement on the PUP in the first place likely had something to do with his contract situation, which might not be resolved by the start of the year.
But there's some hope with Porter being good to go early in the year with this roster move. It's the biggest one the Steelers made for a reason.
While there is still plenty of doubt about what it means for Porter's future with the franchise, this is at the very least a good first sign that he could return early this year.
