Steelers' Mike McCarthy makes alarming Joey Porter Jr. admission

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has been on the physically unable to perform list ever since he allegedly aggravated a back injury during the team's mobility workout on the first day of training camp earlier this summer. 

Porter and the Steelers also happen to be in a contract standoff, as he is in the final year of his existing deal. On Monday, first-year Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy spoke openly about Porter's situation. 

Mike McCarthy understands that "business" is impacting the football side of the Steelers

"I learned this in my early years as a head coach: You have to separate the business and football," McCarthy said, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "Sometimes it's easier than others. This is a challenge for both Joey and us because we're first-year staff. We've seen them play, compete against Joey. I would love the opportunity to coach Joey Porter. I know our defensive guys would love the opportunity."

As noted by Alan Saunders of Steelers Now, it's unclear how much guaranteed money Porter wants and how many years he would like attached to a contract extension. That said, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon recently received a record-setting four-year, $132M contract. Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots could eventually better Witherspoon's deal, but it was unknown as of Monday if Gonzalez will ink an extension before Week 1 of the 2026 season arrives. 

On Aug. 21, Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports reported that "optimism has greatly dwindled over the summer months to the point that an extension with Porter is very unlikely to get done prior to the start of the 2026 season." On Monday, Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review mentioned that "the market dictates that Joey Porter Jr. is a $30M-per-year cornerback." 

Steelers "at an impasse" ahead of preseason finale

History shows that the Steelers don't negotiate contracts during the regular season, meaning Pittsburgh's Week 1 game versus the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13 is likely the deadline for the team to get something done with Porter. According to Pryor, "a source told ESPN that there hasn't been meaningful progress on extension talks" and that "the Steelers also haven't made or received any trade calls on Porter." 

Meanwhile, McCarthy added on Monday that "we're at an impasse right here" regarding Porter's situation. 

"And you've got to respect that," McCarthy continued. "Every one of us has a contract. The organization, they have beliefs and so forth. But yeah, that's just kind of where we are."