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The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting contract situation on their hands that is certain to lead to some questions during training camp if a deal is not agreed upon. Joey Porter Jr. has proven that he has what it takes to be one of the NFL's best corners; however, paying him $30 million per year or more doesn't seem like something that the organization is going to want to do. The team might actually have the upper hand because of the lack of individual accolades that the corner has received. All-in-all, a pen should be put to paper at some point, but no one knows exactly when.
Currently, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie is the highest-paid at his position throughout the league. Two dominant defenders that might be looking to get close to that deal, or beat it, are Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots and Devon Witherspoon of the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks. Porter is sort of hiding out in the shadows behind these two.
If one — or both — get overpaid, then things suddenly because more difficult for the Steelers because of the market resetting once again. On the contrary, that's why it would make sense for Porter's camp to hold on for just a little bit longer. Trends around the league can seriously change the landscape of how certain new contracts are done.
ProFootballTalk reported on some new information that was originally passed along by Ian Rapoport. Apparently, Witherspoon is closer to inking a new deal, but he also shares an agent with Gonzalez. This could have serious effects on the discussions between the Steelers and Porter.
"Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez wants a long-term deal, and the Patriots want to sign him to a long-term deal," Charean Williams wrote. "He shares an agent with Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, though, and Ian Rapoport reports that Witherspoon is “further along” in talks."
According to Rapoport's sources, it appears as if Witherspoon is in line to get $30 million per year or more. This is something that Porter's agent is surely keeping a close eye on.
"The Seahawks have offered a deal that would pay Witherspoon “upwards of $30 million” annually, per Rapoport. That would make Witherspoon among the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league."
It's easy to argue that the two are a little further along that Porter; no should be disputing that. However, Pittsburgh's star isn't far enough behind to simply accept any deal that is presented to him. General Manager Omar Khan would be wise to try and complete something prior to the players reporting to Latrobe, but that doesn't seem likely at this point in time.
The Steelers have not done a stellar job at drafting cornerbacks in recent years. In fact, it's been quite some time since the organization has had a young, lockdown type of guy in the secondary. It would be foolish to allow Porter to test free agency in 2027; however, it would also be a little silly to pay him the same amount of money that Witherspoon and Gonzalez are projected to make.
It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse game so far, which could lead to Porter holding-in once camp begins. He might work off on the side doing individual drills to ensure that he does not suffer any kind of injury before gaining his long-term security.
Steelers Will Reward Porter When The Time Is Right
Fans might be frustrated that Pittsburgh hasn't extended Porter just yet, but it will be the team's most expensive fresh deal of the offseason. It has long-term implications and Khan is going to make sure it is done in a way that benefits both the franchise and Porter. The worst thing that can happen, however, is Gonzalez and Witherspoon getting way more than expected. That could lead to some regret on the Steelers' end.
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