In the aftermath of his son limiting perennial 1,000-yard receiver Nico Collins to a mere three catches for 21 yards during last month’s Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game against the Houston Texans, Joey Porter Sr. had a message for him the following morning.
“He said,” the younger Porter relayed, “I made some money last night.”
Even if leaguewide honors — or lack thereof — aren’t providing Porter with recognition as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, rest assured it’s highly likely a lucrative contract extension from the Steelers will.
Porter had some of the best advanced analytics of any player at his position this past season, and his streak of not allowing a touchdown in coverage (according to Pro Football Focus) extends back 2½ seasons.
But despite that and other evidence that Porter has developed into a shutdown corner, he was not named to the Pro Bowl roster or on an All-Pro team for 2025.
“Joey, obviously, should have got a Pro Bowl or something of that nature,” fellow Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols said last month, “but, you know, politics.”
Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr on the lack of recognition on the Pro Bowl or All Pro teams pic.twitter.com/XZfrcXlOSn
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 13, 2026
Never afraid to speak his mind, Porter Sr. — a former star Steelers player himself — passed along to his son that the accolades will come if he continues on his current trajectory since the Steelers selected him with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Porter Sr. four times was a Pro Bowl outside linebacker, three times a second-team AP All-Pro and in 2002 was a first-team All-Pro. He, also, of course, won a Super Bowl ring. Porter Jr. is 0-3 in playoff games.
That’s been no fault, though, of him. Porter Jr. has allowed just 69 receiving yards and no touchdowns in coverage over three playoff games as a Steeler (according to PFF). In addition to limiting Collins, two years earlier in the wild-card round, then-Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs of the Buffalo Bills had just two catches for 20 yards while Porter was in coverage on him.
Porter told reporters what his father told him after Collins was such a non-factor during the Texans’ playoff win against the Steelers last month.
“He was just like, ‘That’s the way how to end (a season),’” Porter said. “‘You felt how you felt about (not making) the Pro Bowl, about the All-Pros, (but) you really got to put (your play) on TV. And he just said, ‘Continue to let your play speak for itself.’
“And so that’s what I’m going to do.”
Porter graded out as the NFL’s ninth-best cornerback in 2025, according to PFF. His opponent passer rating of 55.9 was third-best in the NFL. He’s one of only two of the 70 NFL cornerbacks who played the most snaps this season who was not charged with a touchdown allowed.
Only five cornerbacks in the league were credited with more pass breakups per game (1.0) or with a lower completion percentage while targeted (47.8).
“Hopefully I don’t have to say too much,” Porter Jr. said of his play. “I’ve tried to really let my work on the field speak for itself. I’m glad people have finally taken a little bit of recognition and see what I’ve been doing. But, you’ve got to keep working. I’ve got to keep my head down. So I’m very humble about it.”
Porter generally maintains that outwardly modest persona, but make no mistake: His bank account will get its day. As he enters this final season of his rookie contract established as one of the Steelers’ best young players, Porter is in line for a massive extension.
While it surely will be negotiated by his representatives and team management over the coming months headed into the Steelers-imposed deadline of September’s regular-season opener, Porter likely will be seeking a deal that compensates him near the top of the NFL’s cornerback hierarchy.
What’s that? The ceiling is what Sauce Gardner got from the New York Jets last summer (four years, $120.4 million). According to spotrac.com, that is one of three $100 million-plus contracts cornerbacks have signed. Three are on the books with an average annual value of $25 million or more, and nine have come accompanied by at least $40 million in guarantees.
Is Porter to the level of one of the top 5-10 cornerbacks in the NFL? That’s subjective, of course — but some of the data suggest he has a strong case for it.
Only three cornerbacks had a better ratio of coverage snaps per catch allowed (17.5), per PFF, which credits Porter as 11th in the NFL at what it calls “lockdown rate.”
Still, it hasn’t translated all that much into recognition from those outside of his own locker room.
“I mean, it is what it is,” Porter said of the lack of Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors. “I’m not going to harp on it too much. The decisions were already made. If I really want to make those type of things, I just got to work harder and put some more plays out there.”
