Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. enters Week 1 of the 2026 season in a contract standoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers while being set to begin the final year of his rookie deal. Porter Jr., the No. 32 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, claims a desire to be the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL isn't what's holding the deal up.
"I don't know where that came from," Porter Jr. said, via ESPN. "Whoever made that up, I really don't pay too much hype into it."
Porter Jr. led the NFL in passer rating against as the primary defender in coverage last season, with a minimum of 60 pass attempts, with a 49.1 rating. No other corner allowed a sub-50 passer rating against. Porter Jr. ranked ahead of other All-Pro and Pro Bowl cornerbacks who have received big paydays in recent years, like Patrick Surtain II (four years, $96 million), Derek Stingley Jr. (three years, $90 million) and Christian Gonzalez (four years, $135 million).
| NFL passer rating against as primary defender leaders, 2025 season, min. 60 pass attempts | Passer rating | Contract |
|---|---|---|
Joey Porter Jr. (PIT) | 49.1 | Rookie deal |
Quinyon Mitchell (PHI) | 53.8 | Rookie deal |
Pat Surtain II (DEN) | 59.7 | 4 years, $96M |
Derek Stingley Jr. (HOU) | 62.1 | 3 years, $90M |
Christian Gonzalez (NE) | 63.7 | 4 years, $135M |
Jaylen Watson (LAR) | 63.7 | 3 years, $51M |
"At the end of the day, it's business. I know what that is, and I got my head straight so I understand that," Porter Jr. said. My dad [Joey Porter] 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."
The Steelers kick off their season at 1 p.m. EST Sunday while hosting the Atlanta Falcons, and Porter Jr. is holding out hope deal gets done before then.
"I hope so, man, that's all I can do is just hope," he said.
