Three mock trades the Steelers could make to deal disgruntled CB Joey Porter Jr.

Pittsburgh will have options if they decide to deal Porter before the Nov. 10 deadline Sep 22, 2026 at 1:10 pm ET • 5 min read 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. Mock No. 1Lions receive: Porter Steelers receive: Lions 2027 second- and 2028 third-round picks 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. Sure, the Steelers could potentially face criticism for "only" getting a second- and third-round pick for Porter. That criticism would quickly be forgotten, however, if the Steelers used those picks wisely. Pittsburgh would also get credit in this scenario for trading Porter to an NFC team. While this would be the easiest move to make, it likely won't happen. The Steelers, as noted above, probably want more first-round picks to increase their odds of drafting a quarterback. They could, however, use the Lions' picks to potentially trade up into the first round. Mock No. 2 Lions receive: Porter, 2027 third-round pick Steelers receive: Lions 2027 first-round pick, Lions 2027 sixth-round pick Really, this trade should be as simple as the Lions trading a first-round pick to the Steelers for Porter. Porter's value to Detroit is greater than next year's first-round pick. The Steelers can use that pick to draft another starting-caliber player. It's a win-win for both teams. The issue is that GMs are always trying to save face in these situations. Holmes would probably get heat if he didn't get any draft capital in exchange for trading a first-round pick. Fortunately for him, the Steelers currently have multiple third- and fourth-round picks in next year's draft at their disposal and would likely package one of them in a trade that involves getting a first-round pick in exchange. The Lions could use one of their multiple sixth-round picks as a sweetener. Remember, the Steelers are in the hunt (with the Browns, among other teams) to draft the top quarterback (Arch Manning?) next year. That's why getting a first-round pick is vital to Khan and is probably the reason for the reportedly high asking price for Porter. In this scenario, the Steelers double their first-round picks and will put themselves in a better position to draft the quarterback of their choice. This scenario is more complicated, but it's still a win-win for both sides. Mock No. 3 Steelers receive: Lions 2027 first-round pick, WR Jameson Williams Lions receive: Porter, WR DK Metcalf, Steelers 2027 fourth-round pick Let's start with the notion that the odds of this happening are almost as good as Deshaun Watson's MVP odds. It probably won't happen, although it makes plenty of sense for both teams. Let's start with the Steelers getting their coveted first-round pick and the Lions getting Porter. There's also the layer of the Lions getting draft compensation from Pittsburgh after giving them a first-round pick (the Steelers would probably offer a lower draft pick since they are trading the better receiver, at least on paper). In this scenario, the Lions probably wouldn't give the Steelers a draft pick since they would be taking on at least some of Metcalf's sizable contract. Speaking of Metcalf, his time in Pittsburgh has been a disappointment. It's safe to say that he could benefit from a new situation, especially one that would pair him with Amon-Ra St. Brown.Like Brown, Williams has had a slow start this season with the Lions, so it's safe to say that he could be energized by a change of scenery. The biggest questions here are how the two teams would handle Metcalf's contract and how much blowback the Steelers would get from Rodgers, who has said that Metcalf is one of his closest friends on the team. If Metcalf and the offense continue to struggle in the coming weeks, however, the Steelers should consider making such a move. While it's only been two games, it's clear that the Steelers' offense is way away from being a top-tier unit. If that continues to be the case, the Steelers should be willing to sacrifice some potential success this year, as it puts them in a better position down the road.