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There is a certain irony to the fact that if Joey Porter Jr. chooses to pursue the most dire option available to him in his contract stalemate with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team will turn to Asante Samuel Jr. as his replacement. Samuel serves as a most perfect cautionary tale for why sitting out games could be a defensible position for Porter. Like Porter is now, Samuel in 2024 was headed into the fourth and final season on his entry rookie contract he signed as a second-round pick. Samuel, then a fourth-year starter for the Los Angeles Chargers, did not sign a contract extension. But instead of Samuel cashing in on the open market the ensuring spring, he suffered a significant back injury four games into the season. The resulting spinal fusion surgery ended his season and left him with no value as free agency began because he was still recovering. Samuel signed to the Steelers practice squad after last season began. This spring, he re-signed with the Steelers for 2026 a relatively paltry $4 million. Like Porter also a cornerback, Samuel would have made many times over what he earned the past two years if he had signed an extension prior to his fourth season. That’s surely part of the calculation Porter is making as his quest to get an extension out of the Steelers hits its home stretch in advance of Sunday’s season opener at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Porter has not committed to playing in that game, should no agreement on an extension be reached with the team in advance of it. And if Porter does not play — as the Steelers’ official depth chart released Tuesday codified — Samuel will play in his place. “I wish for the best for Joey,” Samuel said. “I hope he gets what he deserves.” A difference of opinion in exactly what Porter deserves is what has gotten things to this point. Four days in advance of the season opener, Porter is a week-and-a-half into his return to practicing after a stint on the physically unable to perform list spanned training camp and the preseason. Per the injury report for Wednesday, the Steelers regarded Porter as a limited participant at practice. It cited a back injury, just as the July PUP designation did. “I would (classify) him as in a ramp-up mode,” coach Mike McCarthy said prior to practice, adding that the quality Porter’s work could help dictate the coaching staff’s plan for how much he might play against the Falcons. Samuel declared himself ready to pick up the slack — to whatever degree necessary — in the event Porter cannot (or chooses not to) play. “I just prepare like I usually do,” Samuel said. “I hope everything works out with Joey.” To a man, among those who spoke with media Wednesday, the rest of Porter’s teammates concur with Samuel. That includes the Steelers’ most tenured player, Cameron Heyward. The 16-year veteran also serves as the team’s NFLPA representative, and it was in respect to that role that Heyward pointed to Porter’s plight in making the case that the union needs a better collective bargaining agreement with the NFL. “There’s a lot of sticking points,” Heyward said of the current CBA. “There are a lot of things that have to be cleaned up. We’ll get there when we get there.” Among what irks Heyward is the rookie pay scale, the team fifth-year option for first-round picks and the franchise tag. That latter CBA provision is a tool teams can use to prevent a player from embarking on free agency. Heyward called it “Stupid.” “It hampers players,” he said. “Why should any team be able to take advantage of a player for one year? It’s used in negotiations. And between the player options, the franchise tags, the way they control rookies, I think it’s kind of backwards.” In Porter’s specific case, it is possible if Porter does not agree to an extension and instead plays out this season — assuming he does not get hurt, like Samuel did — the Steelers could still apply the franchise tag on him. And in a market where the top cornerbacks are signing for an average annual value of $30 million-plus with guarantees of more than $50 million, the tag value for cornerbacks in 2027 is projected to be $23 million. “If a player is at the top of his position,” Heyward said, “he should be paid that way.” Heyward has on multiple occasions had contract extension drama bleed into the lead up to a season opener. This offseason, though, Heyward was joined by kicker Chris Boswell, tight end Darnell Washington, outside linebacker Nick Herbig and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton as Steelers who signed extensions earlier in the spring/summer. If Porter gets one, his extension surely will be the most lucrative. “We need Joey out there on the field,” Herbig said. “He’s a great player, good person, great teammate. You know what I’d love for him? Not to just be on that field but to be able to have that security for the next few years and take care of his family because I know what it did for me. I’m waiting for the good news to come out.” Herbig addressed a few reporters. “I’m waiting to see,” Herbig said, “just like y’all.” Does he expect it to happen? “I don’t speak on that business,” he said, “but man. I hope it happens. I’ll tell you that. I really do.”