Steelers Still Have Unfinished Business After Keeanu Benton Extension originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Steelers have wrapped up their Latrobe portion of the summer and are heading back to their facility, but they'll do so with lingering uncertainty about the future of one of their defensive cornerstones.
CB Joey Porter Jr. remains without a long-term contract after defensive lineman Keeanu Benton signed a four-year, $72 million deal on Friday. Benton's extension followed offseason deals for OLB Nick Herbig and TE Darnell Washington.
The prices on the cornerback market have risen of late, with new deals for Devon Witherspoon, Denzel Ward and Trent McDuffie this offseason. Patriots star Christian Gonzalez is seeking to beat Witherspoon's record of $33 million per year.
That range is unrealistic for Porter, but it might be enough to give the Steelers a sense of urgency to get a deal done with their young cornerback. Porter, unlike Witherspoon and Gonzalez, is set to have his rookie contract expire after the 2026 season because he was a second-round pick and doesn't have a fifth-year option.
TribLIVE's Mark Madden notes the "assumption is that the Steelers and Porter will reach an agreement just before the season," though that assumption could come into question as the summer progresses and the season nears.
Here's more to know about Porter's contract situation.
Joey Porter Jr. contract details
Porter is heading into the final year of his rookie contract with a cap hit or $4.9 million this season. While that figure is the highest salary of Porter's career to this point, he is in line to make significantly more money on his next contract.
Porter has spent the summer on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to what's been labeled as a back injury, playing it safe as he anticipates a new deal.
While Gonzalez and the Patriots would still have another year to work out a deal, Porter would either become a free agent in March or become the recipient of Pittsburgh's franchise tag if no long-term agreement is worked out.