Will Levis Signs With Titans; Steelers Focused On Making Joey Porter Jr. Next

Of all the moves made by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the one that had the most unique impact had to be before the 2022 season even ended. Omar Khan fleeced the Chicago Bears by offering receiver Chase Claypool and got a 2023 second-round draft pick in return. As per usual, the draft picks have been signing their contracts, with most of the first-round selections already completing their respective signings. Saturday, Will Levis, a quarterback and second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, signed his rookie contract, and in Pittsburgh, that brought focus straight to Joey Porter Jr.

Steelers Looking To Complete Porter Jr. Deal

Levis was the 33rd pick in the second round, so his deal signing meant that picks 18 through 31 in the first round had completed their rookie signings, and then Levis made pick number 33 a done deal. With Porter Jr. being the 32nd pick, the focus turns to the young legacy cornerback to see how his contract will come together. In most other years, there would be no issue, but thanks to the Miami Dolphins, this pick holds part-first, part-second round weight, thus making the actual contract part more complicated.

When Khan let Claypool go to Chicago, it already looked like the Steelers had won the trade with the young receiver's impact diminishing. However, Chicago was banking on the rookie production being a consistency rather than a fluke. As time went by, though, it turns out that the Bears gave up a kingdom for half a shed. The Bears imploded and grabbed the first overall draft pick, Miami lost their first-round pick, and Porter Jr. dropped out of the first round, leading to the Steelers selecting him as the first Day 2 pick in 2023.

All this led to the current situation in Pittsburgh with two draft picks in different places regarding their contract situations. Their 2023 first-round pick, Broderick Jones, is already under contract, along with most of the selections from the first round of the 2023 draft. Now, this is where it gets tricky, because in most drafts, the 32nd pick would still be considered a "first-round pick," but not this year. The Dolphins lost their first-round pick, making the 2023 first round consist of 31 picks instead.

Steelers Can't Discount Some Porter Pride In The Dealings

In reality, Porter Jr. is a second-round pick despite his 32nd selection; and that comes with contract specifics that aren't the easiest to hammer out, especially when this particular draft pick comes from Steelers legacy.

Being snubbed in the "real" first round was something that hit the young man hard. Many of us recall the emotional video of Porter Jr. and his father, the vocal former-Steelers linebacker, using the first-round snub as fuel for wherever he would end up going. The ripples from the Dolphins having their first-round pick taken away is being felt in the Pittsburgh front office as they find themselves less than a week from training camp and Porter Jr. is still not signed.

So what is holding everything up? It isn't just pride and it isn't only because of the legacy factor. The leading issue between the Porter's side and the Steelers is that Porter Jr. sees the situation as giving him more first-round value, even if he was technically taken in the second round.

Mike Florio spoke with 93.7 The Fan regarding the situation when training camp was a full two weeks away. The Steelers are wary of simply agreeing to the unique situation, worried that a precedent could be set that would create an imbalance in negotiations if another team was hit with the same consequence as Miami was. Even though Porter Jr. was taken with the 32nd pick, in 2023 that means a second-round selection and that is a line the Steelers seem pretty steadfast about maintaining.

"It has nothing to do with [Porter], it's broader powerplay between the league and the union... This is about the Rooney's trying to help hold the line in the push-pull between the league and the players."

It isn't a devastating blow to have Porter Jr. unsigned when camp does officially begin on July 27th. However, considering the cohesive, productive offseason that Pittsburgh has put together so far, it would be a huge positive to have him signed when St. Vincent becomes black and gold once more. It's a strange gray area that is akin to a tightrope walk, but in the end, the Steelers will find that middle ground where the Porter's pride is intact, but there isn't a dangerous precedent for which the Steelers are responsible.

Will Joey Porter Jr. sign his contract before training camp begins? Click to comment below!

#SteelerNation