Joey Porter Jr.’s contract situation just got even messier. Despite being in the last year of his four-year rookie contract signed in 2023, the team has not agreed to a new contract with him. Reports say the Steelers have not even made him an official extension offer yet. And that hesitation is not sitting well with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

“I would not put this on Mike McCarthy because this is the business side of things, but that word impasse, I’m telling you, is probably going to register with Joey Porter Jr., who’s going to sit there and say, ‘You guys haven’t made an offer,'” Mike Garafolo said on The Insiders. “That’s my understanding.

“By the way, I’ve talked to sources familiar with the progress of talks. There hasn’t been an offer from the Steelers, and they say, probably, we want to see him on the field first.

“Well, if you’re Joey Porter Jr., Rhett, you alluded to it. You didn’t have to see Nick Herbig on the field before you got him done back in the spring. Remember, he wasn’t participating in the off-season workouts before they did a four-year, $100 million deal with the linebacker there.”

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The main problem is money. As per Ian Rapoport, Joey Porter Jr. wants a huge contract that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. That means he wants to earn more than players like Devon Witherspoon, who recently signed a four-year, $132 million deal worth $33 million per year.

On top of that, the Steelers did give Nick Herbig a big contract extension in June 2026. Herbig signed a four-year deal worth $100 million, with $42 million guaranteed, that runs till 2030. The Steelers may not want to pay Porter that much, which is why the two sides have not reached a deal.

Another reason the Steelers may not be rushing to give Joey Porter Jr. a new contract is that they feel he may want to stay in Pittsburgh. Porter has a strong connection to the team because his father, Joey Porter Sr., also played for the Steelers and won a Super Bowl with them. Considering this family connection, Pittsburgh may believe Porter is less likely to leave for another team, giving the Steelers more time to negotiate his contract.

His game, however, certainly improved drastically in the 2025 season. Quarterbacks completed only 48.5% of their passes when targeting him, down from 62.8% in 2024. He also did not give up a touchdown all season. Porter finished with a career-high 14 passes defended and one interception in 14 games.

He also improved in an area where he had struggled before: penalties. Porter was flagged 17 times in 2024, but that number dropped to nine in 2025. This shows that he was becoming more disciplined while also improving his coverage.

Joey Porter Jr. is currently dealing with a back injury that he aggravated during a workout and conditioning test at training camp. The Steelers placed him on the PUP list on July 28, and there is no confirmed return date. Now, his injury and contract situation remain uncertain.