DK Metcalf has a reputation of being a diva of sorts on the playing field. Ironically, he recently did one of his teammates a massive favor in terms of their ability to get paid. The wide receiver's recent agreement to restructure his deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers opens up a lot of room for Pittsburgh's front office to get a deal done with cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Metcalf's restructured deal creates nearly $18 million in salary cap room for the Steelers in 2026. That is being achieved by the tried and true method of converting a portion of the pass catcher's base salary into a signing bonus. That's crucial for a Steelers front office that needs to find a way to lock down Porter Jr. for the long haul.
Steelers cleared up room for Joey Porter Jr. with Metcalf restructure
Porter may not be the perfect NFL cornerback in terms of technique, but he gives Pittsburgh's secondary some much-needed swagger and physicality at the back end of their defense.
This represents the last year of Porter's rookie deal, which gives him a chance to reach free agency ahead of his 2027 campaign. The Steelers do not want to let that happen. If Porter does hit the open market, then it's conceivable that another franchise might make him a financial offer the Steelers simply cannot match.
The ideal path forward for GM Omar Khan and his staff would be to find common ground with Porter Jr. on an extension ahead of Week 1 that would extend his stay in Pittsburgh through the remainder of his athletic prime. The nearly $18 million in new cap space created by the Metcalf restructure could go a long way towards helping Khan achieve that goal.
How much should the Steelers pay Joey Porter Jr?
Devon Witherspoon is the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL right now in the midst of his four-year, $132 million deal with the Seahawks. Porter Jr. isn't in his financial league as a corner, but it's a helpful data point for his contract talks with Pittsburgh.
A more reasonable anchor point for Porter Jr. might be his own teammate, Jalen Ramsey's current contract. He is making just under $22 million per season, which makes him the ninth-highest-paid corner in football. Porter Jr. could reasonably ask for a multi-year agreement that pays him somewhere around $25 million per season to keep him in that range as new contracts at the position begin to get signed.
The odds favor the total ending up slightly higher than that. Porter signing a five-year pact that pays him up to $140 million feels like the sweet spot for these negotiations. That would give him long-term security while providing the Steelers with much-needed continuity on defense.
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