Having shown to be a valuable part of the Pittsburgh Steelers ' defense, Joey Porter Jr. is still waiting to be paid like it. The shutdown cornerback, heading into his fourth season in black and gold, hasn't allowed a touchdown reception since his rookie go-round.
Former Steelers offensive tackle Trai Essex believes there will be consequences if the two sides don't come to terms soon.
"CB JPJ needs to get paid," Essex said Tuesday on "The Snap Count" podcast. "We have paid Nick Herbig . We brought in Jamel Dean to start opposite of him. Each day that goes by that JPJ hasn't signed or put ink to paper, he becomes more expensive. And he's not the only one that's up this offseason as far as getting contract extensions."
New England 's Christian Gonzalez and Seattle 's Devon Witherspoon are both also up for new deals.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on the sideline during a game against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 12, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
"If the Steelers wait and they let those guys sign first, JPJ's number is just gonna keep going up, up, up," Essex said. "It works for him, don't get it twisted. But I do wonder, 'At what point do the Steelers feel like he becomes too expensive?'"
Porter expects to be compensated like one of the league's best at his position and is "happy that I'm getting the respect that I feel like I'm owed," he said during minicamp earlier this month. Former longtime Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch believes not getting the extension done and giving Porter long-term security would hurt the team during the lead-up to this season.
"I think it hurts the team in general because you want him out there with your guys," Batch said. "You wanna make sure that he's out there vibing with the guys. And that pressure comes every day — for whatever reason — the contract isn't done, he's gonna hold in and now taking away from that team building and bonding you wanna have. (Signing him) just eliminates the distraction."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Ex-Steelers Fear Team Could Regret Waiting to Pay Joey Porter Jr.
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