One way or the other, there will be a resolution as it pertains to Joey Porter Jr.'s situation with the Steelers. While Nov. 10 (the league's trade deadline) is the unofficial deadline, it appears a resolution will occur much sooner. Porter may force the Steelers' hand if he doesn't suit up on Sunday, which would be the third time in as many games that Porter hasn't played.
While Porter's absences have been excused due to a back injury, the Steelers have reportedly cleared him to return from that injury. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said that Porter will work out on Wednesday. If Porter doesn't face the Bengals, that may compel Steelers general manager Omar Khan to get aggressive in terms of pursuing a trade.
Porter reportedly turned down an offer from the Steelers that would have paid him slightly over $27 million for the 2026 season. If that is true, it's hard to imagine Porter playing this season under his current contract, which calls for him to make $3.9 million. And because of Pittsburgh's long-standing tradition of not doing contracts once the regular season starts, trading Porter is the only logical move if he is going to play.
Here are three mock trades the Steelers could make if they decided to deal Porter. Each involves the Lions, who need a cornerback. The Lions also have the salary cap space to sign Porter to a contract extension.
This is the cleanest and likely easiest deal the Steelers can make. As noted above, the Lions desperately need help at cornerback after surrendering 71 points in their first two games. One would think that Lions GM Brad Holmes wouldn't think twice about giving away next year's second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick for Porter.
It's safe to say that Khan would be more hesitant to make this trade. Reports have surfaced that the Steelers' demands for Porter have scared teams off, so one would think that the Steelers want at least one first-round pick in exchange for Porter. The Jets, after all, received two first-round picks when they traded Sauce Gardner to the Colts prior to last year's deadline.
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