Joey Porter Jr. is staring down Week 1 of the 2026 season in a full-blown contract standoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and you gotta wonder what’s going on behind the scenes. This dude, the No. 32 pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, is set to kick off the final year of his rookie deal without an extension. The clock is ticking big time with Sunday’s opener looming, and Porter Jr. himself is saying he’s not the one holding things up by chasing a record-breaking payday.
Nobody Else Was Touching His 49.1 Passer Rating
If you want to talk about impact, you just need to look at the numbers Porter Jr. put up last season. This guy didn’t just play well; he was straight-up elite. He led the entire NFL in passer rating against as the primary defender in coverage, and we’re talking with a minimum of 60 pass attempts. His rating? A mind-boggling 49.1. Let that sink in. Absolutely nobody else in the league allowed a sub-50 passer rating against. No one! He was playing on another level.
Think about the names he was ahead of, corners who have cashed in big time. Patrick Surtain II, who got four years and $96 million, had a 59.7 rating against. Derek Stingley Jr. snagged three years for $90 million with a 62.1 rating. Christian Gonzalez signed for four years and $135 million, and he was at 63.7. Porter Jr. wasn’t just better, he was significantly better than guys who just got monster paydays. Quinyon Mitchell, another rookie, was at 53.8, and Jaylen Watson at 63.7 on a three-year, $51 million deal. The performance is undeniable; his tape speaks for itself, and the stats scream it.
“It’s Business” and the Week 1 Deadline
So, if he’s not chasing the biggest bag in the league, what’s the hang-up? Porter Jr. flat out denied those rumors, telling ESPN, “I don’t know where that came from. Whoever made that up, I really don’t pay too much hype into it.” He sounds like he gets the game. “At the end of the day, it’s business. I know what that is, and I got my head straight so I understand that.” He’s even got family experience, with his dad Joey Porter having been in the league as both a player and coach. “My dad been in this league as a coach and a player, so he has knowledge on that. It’s nothing new to me, even though this is my first go around. That’s how I look at it.”
That kind of perspective makes you think there should be a path forward, right? But the deal remains unresolved with Week 1 upon us. The Steelers are set to host the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday. Porter Jr. is holding out hope for a deal to get done before that kickoff. “I hope so, man, that’s all I can do is just hope,” he said. You can bet every fan is hoping right alongside him. This is a guy who’s earned his extension, and you never want to see a player start a season with this kind of distraction hanging over him.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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