ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reports a source familiar with Joey Porter’s (back/contract) situation said “I don’t know if he ever puts on a Steelers uniform again.”
According to Pryor, the Steelers’ relationship with Porter “may be fractured beyond repair.” The fourth-year corner has been seeking a contract extension all offseason and missed Week 1 with a back injury that some believe could improve with a new deal. Porter logged a full practice on Wednesday only to reaggravate it on Thursday, putting his Week 2 availability in doubt. According to Pryor, one major holdup in a deal between Porter and the Steelers is the lack of guaranteed money the Steelers are willing to give him. The Steelers typically don’t give out guaranteed money beyond the first year of a deal, but made an exception for T.J. Watt on his extension. Porter reportedly hoped for a similar exception, but so far, that hasn’t happened. This situation remains far from resolved. With Friday’s practice still to go, we’ll see if Porter is ruled in/out before the weekend or if his status will be one to look out for closer to game day.
