The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to agree on a contract extension with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Two other 2023 draft cornerbacks could influence the timing and value of any deal.
The Steelers completed extensions earlier with tight end Darnell Washington and outside linebacker Nick Herbig, both from the 2023 draft class. Negotiations with Porter remain stalled, with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac indicating the sides are not close on financial terms.
Porter, selected 32nd overall, may be monitoring the market for Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon and New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Witherspoon went fifth overall and Gonzalez went 17th in the same draft.
Both players are expected to seek contracts at or above the level set by Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner last offseason. Porter is scheduled to become a free agent after the upcoming season, while the other two remain under fifth-year options.
The Steelers have an incentive to finalize a deal before those contracts are signed, as the team learned last offseason when it was late to the market with T.J. Watt.