The Cleveland Browns will enter the 2026 season with a plethora of new faces and promising young players on their roster. However, oddsmakers and pundits don't seem to love their chances of finishing anywhere but last in the AFC North, mostly due to their well-documented quarterback woes.
Todd Monken's team isn't the only squad in the division dealing with some drama. The Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. are reportedly at an impasse regarding his contract, and things don't look good.
With the former second-round pick potentially landing on the trade block as he looks for a significant raise, Steelers fans can thank the Browns for this unfortunate turn of events. If it weren't for Denzel Ward's recent raise, perhaps they wouldn't be in this spot.
Denzel Ward's contract extension with the Browns might push Joey Porter Jr. out of Pittsburgh
To shut down all trade speculation after Myles Garrett's departure, the Browns gave Ward a much-deserved two-year, $62.2 million contract extension. The 29-year-old is now the second-highest-paid cornerback in the league behind only Devon Witherspoon in terms of average annual value.
With Porter set to earn a base salary around $3.9 million this season, it's only natural to think that Ward's extension may have triggered this ripple effect. If Pittsburgh was unsure about signing Porter to a market-setting deal at over $30 million per season, the recent extensions signed by Ward and Witherspoon only complicated matters.
As a result, the Steelers have two main choices. They could either cave to Porter's financial aspirations — which seems unlikely at this point — or they could look to trade him to the highest bidder; there's always a strong market for starting-level cornerbacks.
That said, the Steelers shouldn't expect a premium return for their former second-round pick. Sauce Gardner fetched two first-round picks along with a player, and the Los Angeles Rams had to give up four draft picks (including a first-rounder) for Trent McDuffie. With all due respect, Porter isn't on their level.
Maybe the Steelers can aim for a second-round selection for their young corner, but it would make more sense for them to try to lock up the few guys they know are worth keeping for the long haul.
The Browns might not win the AFC North this year, and it might be a while before they become real contenders in the division. But at least they may have contributed to the potential unraveling of a bitter rival's defense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google