With his future with the Pittsburgh Steelers up in the air, star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is inactive Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons due to a back injury, the team announced.
Porter and the Steelers have been involved in a contract dispute all summer and remain far apart on a potential extension. An early-season trade is very possible, sources told ESPN's Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter. Porter previously requested a trade and is open to playing elsewhere.
The Steelers have reportedly been listening to offers, but a team hasn't met their asking price of a premium draft pick and no serious trade discussions have developed.
Porter was listed as a limited participant in practice throughout the week.
"I don't know," Porter said recently when asked about his availability for Week 1. "I would have to talk to the guys upstairs and my agents about that one."
Porter was asked Friday if the contract dispute has affected his desire to remain in Pittsburgh.
"No, I don't think so," Porter told reporters. "I mean, at the end of the day it's business, and I know what that is and I got my head straight to understand that."
Many big-name cornerbacks signed multi-year extensions over the last few months, and the market has been reset numerous times. Trent McDuffie, Denzel Ward, Devon Witherspoon, and Christian Gonzalez all received lucrative contracts, and Gonzalez is now the highest-paid corner in the league after signing a four-year, $135-million deal.
Pittsburgh has been busy handing out extensions this offseason, giving Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton, and Darnell Washington new deals. The Steelers reportedly only recently engaged in extension talks with Porter.
Porter is coming off the best season of his career, allowing zero touchdowns as the nearest defender in coverage, according to Next Gen Stats. He surrendered just 380 yards and 33 catches on 65 targets. His 50.8% catch rate allowed ranked ninth among all defensive backs with at least 300 coverage snaps.
The 26-year-old has been with the Steelers since he was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft. He's recorded 31 passes defended and three interceptions in 47 career games.
