The Pittsburgh Steelers' preference to avoid second-year contract guarantees led to friction between the franchise and Joey Porter Jr. before they ultimately traded him to the Dallas Cowboys, sources told ESPN's Ian Rapoport.
Pittsburgh reportedly offered Porter a contract worth $28 million in average annual value. However, the deal didn't include fully guaranteed money in the second year in case of injury, something the Steelers have been hesitant to offer with other extensions.
The Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals are other franchises that largely avoid guarantees past Year 1 when negotiating with players, Rapoport adds. However, Pittsburgh broke this rule when it signed T.J. Watt to a 3-year, $123-million extension in 2025.
DK Metcalf also received second-year guarantees on his contract, but the Steelers negotiated the agreement as part of a trade that sent the wideout from the Seattle Seahawks to Pittsburgh.
The Steelers shipped Porter to the Cowboys earlier this week for a 2027 sixth-rounder and a 2028 second-rounder. He sat out the first three games of the year with a back injury and reportedly knew he was unlikely to play for the Steelers again without the long-term contract security he wanted.
Porter is expected to play out his rookie deal in Dallas this season without an extension. He was willing to suit up for a new team without a new deal, and he'll make his season debut Sunday against the Houston Texans.
The 26-year-old was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Penn State. He has recorded 31 passes defended and three interceptions across three NFL seasons.
