The Steelers won't negotiate with Joey Porter Jr. during the season. The team says its longtime policy of not negotiating contracts in-season will stand for the cornerback, who is in the final year of his rookie deal.
This is a story about policy, but it's also a story about a player. Porter Jr. has been at an impasse with Pittsburgh for weeks. The Steelers have already extended several important members of their 2023 draft class; Porter Jr. remains the most difficult unresolved negotiation. General manager Omar Khan has said the team hopes Porter Jr. "finishes his career here." That hope now has a hard deadline attached to it.
The no-in-season negotiation policy is not new. It's been a Steelers staple for years. But the policy exists in tension with the position Porter Jr. plays. Cornerback is a premium spot, and Porter Jr. is a starter. He is precisely the kind of player teams usually lock up early. Pittsburgh is choosing to wait.
The risk is obvious. If Porter Jr. plays well, his price goes up. If he plays poorly, the Steelers might not want him back. Either way, the policy keeps the future uncertain. The organization is comfortable with that. It has been for a long time.
The question now is whether Porter Jr. is. He has no leverage beyond his play on the field. He can't force a trade, and he can't demand a new deal. The best he can do is show up and play. That's what the Steelers are counting on.
My read: The Steelers believe their policy works because they've never had to pay the cost of losing a player over it. Porter Jr. could change that. If he walks in free agency, or holds out next summer, this policy will look a lot less clever. The Steelers are betting that Porter Jr. will play well enough to justify paying him later. That bet gets riskier every Sunday.
— Nora Quill