The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2026 offseason with a ton of contractual business that needed to be handled, and the franchise has done a fairly good job at being proactive in getting some of these things done. Both Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington have already signed their new extensions. The rest of the 2023 draft class is also eligible for extensions, and Keeanu Benton and Joey Porter Jr. are the two players that seem to be the most likely to get new deals. Porter is an absolute priority as he has turned into one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA.
Porter knows that his play has been elite, and so does the organization. However, casual football fans might not be as tapped in as the cornerback has missed out on all major accolades up until this point in his career. He was a finalist for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award back in 2023, but that's really the only recognition he has received up until this point. The cornerback is going to get an extension, but the value of that deal is still up in the air. An important factor to consider is the rest of the cornerback market, and it could jump with Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots and Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks also awaiting extensions.
NFL reporter Albert Breer recently spoke about the current cornerback market in a mailbag, and he touched on what Gonzalez and Witherspoon could get from their respective franchises.
"Corner is one of those spots that hasn’t yet undergone a big market correction," Breer said. "The market moved to the mid-20s with Patrick Surtain II’s extension at $24 million per year in 2024, and up again last year with Derek Stingley Jr.’s extension at $30 million per year, with Jaycee Horn following Surtain and Sauce Gardner closely following Stingley. So if you’re Gonzalez or Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon, you’d view a jump into the mid-30s as automatic (Surtain also just received a raise this week after the market had passed him a bit)."
Breer states that deals for Gonzalez and Witherspoon coming in the mid-30s should be viewed as automatic. They will make more money than Porter, but any rise in the market is going to raise his value. Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams is currently the league's highest-paid cornerback at $31 million, and Gonzalez and Witherspoon's deals are projected to come in north of that.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. makes a tackle during a Week 12 road game against the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
There is a world where Gonzalez and Witherspoon could each sign for around $32 to $35 million, which should bump Porter's value up a bit and put him somewhere in the $28 to $30 million range. This may shock some fans as some insiders have projected that the cornerback will get a deal in the low-20s, but that seems out of the realm of possibility.
Both Gonzalez and Witherspoon played in the Super Bowl last year, and they have each made Pro Bowls and been named All-Pros. They will make more money than Porter and that is something he is probably aware of, but it will still affect Porter's deal for the better.
Adam Hunger / Associated Press
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez pictured walking on the playing surface as he gets ready to take the field.
Steelers May Have To Wait Out A Joey Porter Jr. Extension
Gonzalez and Witherspoon are both represented by the same agent, which could mean they would each sign around the same time. Porter and his team are probably aware that either of those players has a chance to reset the market, and they should not sign an extension until a deal is done in New England or in Seattle.
What do you think Porter will sign for? When do you think it will happen? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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