Steelers Not Yet Committed To Joey Porter Jr. In The Long-Term Thanks To Unique Draft Situation

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a pivotal 2025 offseason ahead for the organization. The franchise will need to decide on the futures of many players, including recent cornerstones of the team like Najee Harris. The 2025 season will be big for the future of the franchise in terms of the evaluation of certain players who have developed since being drafted, and one of those individuals is cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Porter has been a good corner in Pittsburgh, but he certainly has some flaws that need to be ironed out.

Porter has been the best cornerback on the roster for Pittsburgh throughout his first two seasons in the NFL, and he has shown a ton of promise and potential. The main issue with Porter is his physicality. 

The cornerback struggled with committing unnecessary penalties in his second year, but he has promised that he will be working on that heading into 2025. The Steelers will need to decide on the future of Porter sooner than most fans think, as the team doesn't have the benefit of him being a first-round pick. Team insider Ray Fittipaldo spoke about Porter's future on the North Shore Drive Podcast.

"You get him at No. 32, but you don't have the benefit of that fifth-year option because he was the first pick in the second round." Fittipaldo said. "So we do have to see a big step forward from Joey [Porter] in this next year. Because then they're gonna have to consider what they do with his next contract after the 2025 season."

The Steelers selected Porter with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which is usually a first-round selection. However, that year of the NFL Draft was a bit unique because the Miami Dolphins had to forfeit their first-round selection due to tampering. 

This led to Porter being selected 32nd overall, but it was recognized as a second-round pick. This means the Steelers do not have the opportunity to pick up a fifth-year option for Porter, and he would enter free agency a season earlier than if he was a first-round selection.

This is good for Porter since he gets to be paid sooner, but bad for the organization as it has one less year of control over the defensive back. He becomes eligible for a contract extension after the 2025 season, and he will need to show some major improvements in order to see a big payday. 

Some improvements to look for with Porter includes cutting down on penalties. Being too physical with receivers has been Porter's kryptonite since entering the league, and it is hard to offer an extension to a defender who consistently gives the opposing offense free yardage.

Aside from the penalties, Porter has been really good in Pittsburgh. He has the ability to take opposing receivers out of the game, and his tackling has improved drastically since his rookie year. There is a ton of promise with Porter, but a decision on his future is coming sooner than most probably expect.

Steelers Have Serious Concerns At Cornerback Going Into 2025 Offseason

Cornerback is going to be one of the positions Pittsburgh will need to address during the 2025 offseason. Outside of Porter, the next best player under contract for 2025 is Cory Trice Jr. Trice does not have the experience nor the talent to feel confident in deploying him as a starter to begin the 2025 season, so the organization will likely need to attack that position in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft.

Donte Jackson is expected to hit free agency once the new league year begins in March. He made some great plays in 2024 and led the team in interceptions, but he was often a liability. The veteran also struggled with injuries, so the organization should only re-sign him as a last resort.

What do you think about Porter's future in Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!

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