Steelers Have Approximately $5 Million Difference With Joey Porter Jr

Steelers Have Approximately $5 Million Difference With Joey Porter Jr The Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. have been unable to reach a new deal before the end of the preseason, and it appears the team is millions apart from what the 2023 second-round pick's camp wants in compensation. With Porter on the active/PUP list, Porter returned to practice on Tuesday, though he wouldn't commit to play in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, as he seeks a contract extension before the start of the regular season, a historical deadline for the Steelers, who don't negotiate with players during the season. “I don’t know. I would have to talk to the guys upstairs and my agents about that one,” Porter said of his availability against the Falcons on Sept. 13. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Steelers are about $5 million away from giving Porter a deal he'd sign, putting him closer to the $33 million a year range Devon Witherspoon signed with the Seattle Seahawks and Christian Gonzalez wants from the New England Patriots. "The semantics are this: The Steelers most likely would do a deal with Porter," Fowler wrote. "But the mechanics of the cornerback market (as outlined above with Gonzalez) are hard to ignore. Five cornerbacks make $30 million or more per year.  "After that, there's a drop to $25 million (the Carolina Panthers' Jaycee Horn). Porter essentially has to pick which group he thinks he belongs in, and all indications are it's not the latter. And the Steelers might not want him in the former on their dime." Per Fowler, the Steelers chose not to give Porter a formal offer "for weeks" at some point this offseason, leaving the cornerback's camp to believe that the team wants him to play out the upcoming season on his rookie deal. During that time, Porter thought about seeking a trade or sitting out. The first-year coaching staff of head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham wants Porter on the field this season. A $5 million difference is not a small feat to overcome in even a matter of months. With less than two weeks until the start of the season, it would take a serious concession to make a deal happen.