49ers Named Potential Landing Spot for Rising Star

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49ers Named Potential Landing Spot for Rising Star

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Sep 15, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly listening to offers on fourth-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the San Francisco 49ers are one of the teams that make the most sense to acquire the rising star who is seeking a big-money contract.

The 49ers' cornerback rotation looked stout Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams, but seasons are long, and Porter would help the defense immensely. San Francisco has eight draft picks in 2027 and around $45 million in cap space. Porter opposite Deommodore Lenoir would form a stout 1-2 cornerback combo.

It is fair that the 49ers have the picks and cap space to add Porter. The question is how comfortable the 49ers are with the rest of the cornerback room.

San Francisco Tied To Joey Porter Jr. by ESPN

The 49ers added a lot of depth to the cornerback room this offseason in an effort to push third-year cornerback Renardo Green. So far, it has worked. Green pushed off Jack Jones in the preseason and held onto his starting job.

He also looked great in his first game against the Los Angeles Rams. Green had a strong rookie season, and if he can string a few games together, he could end up being a player the 49ers want to extend at the end of this season.

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Green is a talented second-round pick who is on his rookie salary, just like Porter. So, the addition of Porter might not intrigue the 49ers as much, even with the picks and the cap space.

More than that, they still have Jones and rookie Ephesians Prysock. Prysock is a fourth-round pick, so his potential is unknown. Still, if the 49ers add Porter, it would shut off any chance for him to see the field down the line.

If the 49ers did add Porter, they would also likely be looking to recoup some draft value by moving on from Green. However, the Steelers have Asante Samuel and Jamel Dean at outside cornerback.

So, they are looking for a significant pick in return to move on from Porter. The 49ers might want to move a player for a less valuable pick, and the Steelers might not be interested.

If San Francisco sees Porter as such a significant upgrade over Green, there is no stopping them from being the team to make the move. However, despite the connection from the ESPN Insider, the 49ers' interest in Porter might not be as high as expected.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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