Should the Buccaneers Pursue Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr.?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are almost set to head into their 2026 season, with a preseason game coming up on Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs and one more week of joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week.

There are a few concerns with the team before it heads to Week 1, though. One of the biggest concerns is with the secondary, which is currently a bit banged up — Benjamin Morrison is working back from a hamstring injury and Zyon McCollum is dealing with an unknown injury that has kept him sidelined for a few practices now.

With that in mind, some have wondered if the Buccaneers would try to grab a veteran cornerback on the market to help bolster the room ahead of the regular season. And per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the opportunity may be there for Tampa Bay to make a splash and land a starting corner.

Schultz reported on Thursday that some parties believe the Pittsburgh Steelers may be open to moving corner Joey Porter Jr., who is currently in the final year of his rookie contract.

#Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. is a name multiple teams around the NFL have wondered about as a potential trade target, per sources.

JPJ is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with where the CB market is, teams have wondered if Pittsburgh could ultimately be open to a… pic.twitter.com/0t1CX9laOQ
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 21, 2026

Porter has played in 47 games for the Steelers over three seasons, and he's netted three interceptions, 120 solo tackles and 31 passes defended in that time. He posted a PFF coverage grade of 74.1 last season, the highest of his career to date.

With all of that in mind, should the Bucs go after Porter to help shore up a questionable secondary heading into the 2026 season?

Should the Buccaneers Pursue Joey Porter Jr.?

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) reacts against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. As it always goes with trades, it's important to think about both how much it would cost to get Porter and where he'd fit into the team.

So what would it cost to get Porter? He hasn't had any yearly accolades so far in his career and he's currently on the PUP list, but he's a young corner who had a good coverage season last year. It would probably take a high draft pick, such as a second or a first, and maybe even multiple — and that's not a price that general manager Jason Licht has ever been willing to pay.

On top of that, Porter will likely request an extension to anyone he'd be traded to, and that could be upwards of $30 million per year. That's a lot to commit to a player, and especially in a time when the Buccaneers are retooling some things and have a lot of free agents to account for next offseason.

Finally, Porter would be difficult to fit into the roster. He'd likely start outside, and that would displace both Jacob Parrish, who is playing good football and is much cheaper, and Benjamin Morrison, who the Bucs drafted with a second-round pick last year. Paying money like that to cast aside two high draft picks is an unlikely move from Tampa Bay.

Trading for Porter would probably be more pain than it's worth, and on top of that, the Steelers would have to be interested in moving him in the first place. Realistically? They probably aren't.

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