Steelers Urged to Trade Joey Porter Jr. to Mike McCarthy's Old Team

If the Pittsburgh Steelers are willing to make something work with their star corner, they should probably move on.

Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) enters the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PITTSBURGH -- What do the Pittsburgh Steelers do with Joey Porter Jr.? Do they budge on a deal and sign him before their opener? Watch him hold out during the season? Or maybe move on?

Jourdan Rodrigue, an NFL analyst for the NFL Daily Podcast, said he believes the answer should be to trade him now instead of waiting. And he says Mike McCarthy's former team is the top landing spot for Porter heading into the regular season.

"If you're not going to pay Joey Porter Jr., you've gotta trade him to the Dallas Cowboys," Rodrigue said. "My stance has been pay Joey Porter Jr. Christian Gonzalez just got paid. I thought there was some eyeballing of seeing where each corner stood financially and then maybe the contract getting resolved. After that, I think he's one of the best corners in the NFL...

"I think he has such a high ceiling... If teams like the Dallas Cowboys are out there saying, 'Our secondary needs help. We have a lot of money.' You should pay him. If you're not going to pay him, just move on. If it's inevitable, just make it immediate."

It's the Right Thought

Rodrigue is right. If the Steelers aren't going to pay Porter Jr., the best thing they can do for both parties is move on. Trading him now gives them the best return for the player, and allows Porter to get a long-term deal done now instead of having to wait until next season.

Oftentimes, negotiations like this don't include much respect for the other party. In this instance, it should. The Steelers can hold onto Porter for another year and then franchise tag him next offseason. Whether they decide to trade him a year from now or not, he'd be losing a considerable amount of money.

They would also be losing trade value. So, the best thing to do is to move on when everything works out for both sides. And if the Cowboys are willing to make a third trade in two years, why not?

Now, the best course of action is to pay Porter. The Steelers shouldn't be hardballing him this much, and at this point, it feels like it's Pittsburgh that is causing the issues, not Porter.

The 26-year-old deserves to be paid reasonably. That number is somewhere around $30 million per year and $60 million guaranteed.

If the Steelers aren't willing to go that high, and Porter isn't willing to sign for less, it's time to move on now. Otherwise, it's just a distraction for Pittsburgh heading into the season.

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