Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Inactive For Week 1, Misses Contract Deadline

PITSBURGH – Joey Porter Jr. is inactive for the Pittsburgh Steelers for their Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13 at Acrisure Stadium and has missed the team's deadline to reach an extension of his rookie contract.

The veteran cornerback was listed as questionable with back injury throughout the week. The team said Porter had sustained the injury during training camp, but coach Mike McCarthy hinted that contract negotiation tactics were also at play when he declared that the team had reached an “impasse” with Porter a couple of weeks ago. 

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac reported that Porter is healthy enough to play, pointing to the contractual dispute as the core reason for his absence. The Steelers have a longstanding policy of not negotiating contracts once the season begins. 

Required reading: Steelers have avoided franchise tag since Le'Veon Bell. Joey Porter Jr. may change that

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that a trade remains a possibility for Porter now that the team’s negotiating window has closed. 

Should he play the season out, Porter would become a free agent with the expiration of his rookie contract – unless the Steelers use the franchise tag to keep him for another year. 

The Steelers used the first pick of the second round of the 2023 NFL draft on Porter. The Penn State product became a starter early in his rookie season and has posted mostly reliable numbers since. He’s gained a reputation for drawing flags, but opponents completed fewer than half of their passes when targeting him last season. 

Porter's exact demands aren't known, but six corners around the league now make more than $30 million per season on average, according to OverTheCap.com. He no doubt would like a piece of that exploding market.

Three of Porter’s 2023 draft classmates  – linebacker Nick Herbig, defensive lineman Keeanu Benton and tight end Darnell Washington – reached extensions with the team this offseason. None have had as prominent a role as Porter. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. inactive for Week 1, misses contract deadline