The Steelers are holding firm on their in-season contract negotiation policy, which means Joey Porter Jr. will have to wait until the offseason to discuss a new deal. The cornerback is playing on the final year of his rookie contract, and Pittsburgh refuses to deviate from its longstanding rule against extending players during the season.
This is standard operating procedure for the Steelers organization. Other teams negotiate mid-season when star players threaten holdouts or demand trades. Pittsburgh doesn't work that way. Porter Jr. can play out his current deal, perform well, and then hash out terms with general manager Omar Khan when the calendar flips to 2025.
Porter Jr. is in his third year after Pittsburgh drafted him in the first round in 2022. He's developed into a legitimate cornerback for them. But wanting a raise doesn't change the Steelers' playbook. They'll negotiate when they're ready, not when a player wants them to. The message is simple: play your contract, then we'll talk.