Slim Chance Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. is Headed for Hold Out

It's very hard to imagine this not working out for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the rookie.

PITTSBURGH -- There's growing concern that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. could be headed toward a rough beginning as the team moves closer and closer to the start of training camp at Saint Vincent College. 

Right now, Porter Jr. remains unsigned by the Steelers. He's the last of their seven selections to ink his first NFL contract, and it most likely has to do with trying to squeeze as much guaranteed money out of the deal as possible. 

The uncertainty has some fans worried that it could force the rookie to hold out during training camp. But don't prepare for the worst in this scenario. 

Porter Jr. has every right to fight for some extra money. He was the 32nd pick in a draft with one less selection. In a normal year, he would be considered a first-round pick, and be paid like one. Instead, he's viewed as a second-rounder, and it's going to affect his pockets with his first deal. 

Even with the discrepancies about a contract, though, it's hard to imagine a deal doesn't get done before the team's first training camp practice on July 27. It might be signed on July 26 when players report, but it could also be done much earlier. 

Having Porter Jr. under contract by camp isn't a middle-of-the-pack priority for Pittsburgh. Chances are, Omar Khan and the front office staff are working diligently to ensure everyone is under contract by the time they head to Latrobe. That way, the only situation they may have to deal with is Alex Highsmith's extension and a possible hold-in by their outside linebacker. 

Porter Jr. isn't alone, either. While it's easy to feel like he's in a sticky situation that could turn ugly, he's not. 13 second-round picks remain unsigned from the draft. 12 more outside of the second round are still working on deals, including eight first-rounders. So, even if the Steelers got the rest of their rookie deals done pretty quickly, they're not behind on their last one. 

Until it happens, don't expect it to. The odds of a rookie holding out during training camp are very rare. On top of that, Porter Jr. has an opportunity to make an immediate impact on the Steelers' defense this season, but that expectation dims the longer he's not on the field. 

It makes all the sense in the world for Porter Jr. and his agent to fight for every dollar possible. It also makes all the sense in the world for both sides to find the right middle ground and sign a deal before training camp. 

And until we're watching warm-ups at Saint Vincent's and realizing number 24 isn't on the field, we should all anticipate that he's going to be. 

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