Report: Steelers Comfortable With Joey Porter Jr Potentially "Holding In"

The Pittsburgh Steelers still have a lot of work to do with their players before they get into the heart of summer practices. The season is right around the corner and before everything gets rocking and rolling, Pittsburgh needs to finalize multiple contracts for the future of this franchise. They fortunately got a few out of the way already with Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington, and Chris Boswell. Now, the front office needs to get two other key players locked up long term and there could be something done to expedite things.

Between Keeanu Benton and Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh needs to get something done before it's too late. Many still believe extending Benton is very much on the table. Compared to Porter, there's not nearly as much talk going on about that potential deal. Porter is the more notable name and bigger superstar waiting to get his payday. 

The elite corner likely wants to be one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league as it matches his production on the field. He has done excellent thus far in his career and he wants the contract to reflect his success and talents. The only problem is he hasn't gotten a deal worked out yet. While that doesn't mean that it won't happen, fans would definitely feel more comfortable if it got signed sooner rather than later.

One thing that might happen as summer practices start up is a hold-in. Porter might not participate in team practices so he can work out a contract, but according to Steelers insider Christopher Carter on 93.7 The Fan, they might be very comfortable with that happening.

"I think that the Steelers are also comfortable with him maybe even sitting out some of the early practices at training camp and just doing the workouts," Carter said.

The Steelers don't need to see what Porter can do at these workouts to determine his value. They know how much he is worth financially and in this defensive scheme. He's a top-notch corner and everyone knows this, so they might be comfortable with him limiting his reps early in the season.

We've seen this happen plenty over the years with stars like TJ Watt and Cameron Heyward. It worked out for both of them and they returned to the defense to make the big impact they were paid to do. This narrative will likely continue with this Porter situation. 

Another thing Carter talked about with this Porter situation is that the Steelers likely felt that he was going to be the easiest player to retain long term. Porter grew up in Pittsburgh, his father played in the Steel City, and has been a staple of the defense, so they probably felt like they wouldn't need much time to negotiate with him and convince him to sign a contract. 

While Herbig and Washington are big pieces to the team as well, they don't have the connection that Porter has, which has evidently made them more of a priority in this process.

Benton fits the criteria with Herbig and Washington too as players that it may take more to persuade into signing a long term deal. Benton definitely wants paid and the Steelers are actively trying to make that happen, but with this talk from Carter, they may prioritize signing Benton before going full steam into Porter.

Steelers May Have A Hold-In With Porter 

Hopefully the Steelers can get both young stars locked up before the season starts. Doing that will keep the defense stabilized for years to come and will keep the stars that they've developed in the organization that they've began their careers. While Porter may sit out of practice initially, Pittsburgh is reportedly comfortable with that, according to Carter. Fans will see if they can get a deal done sooner rather than later.

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