‘Organization has become an absolute joke’: Steelers contract negotiation policy sparks outrage
· Yahoo Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new leader in head coach Mike McCarthy after 19 seasons under Mike Tomlin. McCarthy and the Steelers open the season on September 13 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the role that young star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will play in that game remains unclear, as he and the organization remain at an “impasse” regarding a potential contract extension. Now, one of the franchise’s long-standing rules is leaving those negotiations even more precarious, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
“Our policy is going to remain in place, but I’m not going to talk about negotiations,” Steelers general manager Khan said of the situation, referencing Pittsburgh’s longstanding tradition of not negotiating contracts during the season.
“We won’t talk publicly about the negotiations per se, but Joey knows how we feel about him, and I still hope Joey finishes his career here,” Khan added.
Khan said that he expects Porter to practice moving forward after he was taken off the PUP list on Sunday night.
“In the next couple of weeks, not just Joey, but anyone that we feel is healthy and available to us, we expect him to practice,” Khan said. “He got taken off [PUP]. Our medical staff felt like he was good to go.”
“Khan needs to go”
Fans on social media gave their takes on Pittsburgh’s refusal to negotiate into the season.
“Omar Khan has destroyed his cap situation to the point where signing JPJ to a $30 million AAV deal would force him to cut $22 million in salary just to keep JPJ…not speaking for filling out the roster as well This is what happens when you have $64 million tied up in 2 WRs & $90 million on your defensive line next season. Khan needs to go,” one fan posted on X.
“Just give him what he wants! In two years, it’ll look like a good deal,” someone else posted.
“Being the dirtiest player in the league doesn’t make you good. He holds and has PI every play because he’s a bum player,” another fan added.
“This organization has become an absolute joke at this point. We haven’t won a playoff game since 2017 and you think continuing the same protocols will change that,” one fan wrote.
“We need the whole secondary out there.”
Porter’s teammate in the secondary, Jalen Ramsey, has made it clear they feel he deserves to be compensated.
“We need the whole secondary out there. They gotta pay Joey Porter,” Ramsey said, per Steelers Depot. “I’m overly in Joey’s corner. Joey needs to get compensated for being a valuable part of this secondary, and a valuable part of this defense and team.”
For McCarthy’s part, he’s leaning on his experience dealing with these situations in the psat.
“I learned this in my early years as a head coach: You have to separate the business and football,” McCarthy said. “Sometimes it’s easier than others. This is a challenge for both Joey and us because we’re first-year staff. We’ve seen them play, compete against Joey.
“I would love the opportunity to coach Joey Porter. I know our defensive guys would love the opportunity. So we’re at an impasse right here, and you’ve got to respect that. Every one of us has a contract. The organization, they have beliefs and so forth. But yeah, that’s just kind of where we are.”
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