Steelers gift Joey Porter Jr. all the leverage
· Yahoo Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have thought they were getting ahead of the game by locking up Nick Herbig first. Instead, they may have handed Joey Porter Jr.’s camp all the leverage, putting them behind in negotiations.
That was the concern raised by Mark Madden on the “Madden Benz Unfiltered” podcast. Madden didn’t just question the Herbig deal itself, but also the order in which the Steelers handled their young players.
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“I can’t believe they didn’t tie up Porter first,” Madden said.
Porter was already expected to be expensive. The cornerback market keeps climbing, and Porter plays a premium position. He’s also one of the few young defensive pieces Pittsburgh can reasonably sell as a long-term building block.
But once the Steelers gave Herbig a deal worth $25 million per year, Porter’s side gained a comparison inside the same locker room.
“I think Herbig -- with that deal -- kicked up some in-house inflation as well,” Madden said.
That’s where this gets complicated. Herbig is talented, disruptive, and clearly part of the Steelers’ future. But he’s also been a rotational edge rusher, not yet a full-time starter.
Porter’s camp doesn’t have to argue against Herbig’s talent. It only has to argue value. And they have a strong case given that he’s been a starter for the better part of three seasons -- since being drafted.
“The figure I keep hearing for Porter is like $27 million, maybe a little north of that,” Madden said. “Well, if I’m Porter or his agent, I’m thinking, ‘OK, you’re giving the backup edge guy $25 million. I’m only worth ($2 million) more than that? Nah, nah. Pony up a bit more.’”
That argument would be tough for the Steelers to dismiss. They can point to position value, projections, scheme fit, or consistency. Porter’s side can point right back at Herbig’s contract and ask why Pittsburgh set that internal bar before finishing business with its No. 1 corner.
The Steelers have painted themselves into a corner. Instead of negotiating against the cornerback market, they’re negotiating against themselves.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Joey Porter Jr. contract leverage grows after Nick Herbig deal