Why the Steelers Need to Extend a 25-Year-Old Cornerback Before the 2026 Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 draft class was full of headliners such as Joey Porter Jr., Nick Herbig, and Darnell Washington. The latter two have both been recently extended, each receiving four-year deals that keep them in the Steel City through 2030. ‘JPJ’, however, still awaits his extension despite starting the most games since all three were drafted. Instantly coming in as a starter for the Steelers, making a difference in their secondary right away, and just improving every season, it would be a mistake for Pittsburgh to not extend their superstar cornerback. The former Penn State defensive back has transitioned perfectly to the NFL, allowing only one touchdown in his first three seasons and an average completion percentage of just 53% over that span. The biggest issue of his young career has been penalties, especially costly downfield ones such as pass interference, holding, or illegal touching. He has steadily declined in committing penalties, as he had six for 56 yards in 2025, down from 12 for 137 yards in 2024. All signs point to the son of former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter staying with the black and gold, but what will it mean for the Steelers moving forward?
Every season, the NFL market expands as contracts grow increasingly massive, and every superstar tries to become their position's highest-paid. Bill Barnwell from ESPN believes that Porter Jr. could be the guy to reshape the cornerback market with his extension, placing the 2023 second-round pick in a select group. Barnwell says, “There is no shortage of viable candidates here, given that the 2023 draft delivered an excellent crop of cornerbacks, all of whom became eligible for extensions this spring. They’re collectively playing a waiting game with one another here, given that the first player to sign might set the market for the others to top.” Being a second-round pick, Pittsburgh needs to find a way to lock him in sooner rather than later, as he has no fifth-year option. 2026 will truly be his final year in the Steel City unless an agreement is reached before the start of the season. Porter Jr. has routinely showcased his man coverage ability, matching up against some of the NFL’s top receivers and performing well the majority of the time. The Steelers are scheduled to play the Falcons, Patriots, and Bengals in weeks one through three of the 2026 season, meaning ‘JPJ’ is needed if they want to have any chance against Drake London, A.J. Brown, and Ja'Marr Chase.
One of the Steelers’ newest additions, safety Jaquan Brisker, recently stated that he believes the Steelers defense can be top five in 2026. One of the biggest assets to making that happen is making sure ‘JPJ’ is wearing black and gold week one. With Pittsburgh’s coaching staff reshaping with Patrick Graham as their next defensive coordinator, his past defenses have shown he can bring out the best in Porter Jr. and the rest of the Steelers' expensive defense. The young cornerback has the chance in 2026 to have the best season of his career so far. Under Graham, and with skills continuing to develop every year, next season could be the one that elevates him to a top-tier cornerback, with the potential to earn All-Pro Honors. As with much of the Steelers 2026 offseason, only time will tell what comes of ‘JPJ’s future with the black and gold, but it does appear as if he will eventually sign an extension, and it will be the perfect call for the Steelers.
