Brooke PryorSep 9, 2026, 03:34 PM ET
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PITTSBURGH -- As the self-imposed regular-season deadline for the Pittsburgh Steelers to extend cornerback Joey Porter Jr. gets closer, the possibility of using a franchise tag on their 2023 second-round pick is becoming more realistic.

That's not necessarily a good thing.

Steelers defensive leader and NFLPA executive committee member Cameron Heyward blasted the franchise tag when asked about it Wednesday.

"Stupid," he said when asked for his thoughts on it. "It hampers players. Why should any team be able to take advantage of a player for one year? It's used in negotiations, and I think between the player options, the franchise tags, the way they control rookies, I think it's kind of backwards."

In the current system, teams can use the tag to keep their best players from hitting free agency. Teams can use one of three options - non-exclusive tag, exclusive tag or transition tag -- to give a player a one-year tender as their current deal expires. With the tag, the two sides have until mid-July to work out a long-term deal, otherwise the player will play on the one-year tag unless they hold out.

The value varies based on the position and type of tag. The franchise tag figures are based on the top five salaries at each position, while the transition tag figure is determined by the top 10. In 2026, the franchise tag for cornerbacks was valued at $21.16 million, while the transition tag was worth $18.12 million.

Earlier this week, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez became the highest paid cornerback with an average annual salary of $33.75 million, meaning there's a significant difference in the pay of a franchise-tagged player and a player at the top of the market.

Heyward took issue with that.

"If a player is at the top of his position, he should be paid that way," Heyward said.

Porter Jr. was on the PUP list throughout training camp with an aggravated back injury, but he was activated on roster cutdown day. He's been in a "ramp up" period during practices in the last week, and he didn't commit to playing in the season-opener against Atlanta if a deal isn't reached.

"I don't know," he said on Sept. 1. "I got to talk to the guys upstairs and my agents about that."

The Steelers' depth chart isn't giving away any hints about Porter Jr.'s availability for Sunday either. The starting cornerback opposite Jamel Dean is Porter Jr. "or" Asante Samuel Jr.. Coach Mike McCarthy explained listing the two that way because of sub-packages and the reality that there's several different options for starters depending on the defense they start in.

Heyward, who's gone through several contract negotiations that came down to the wire, said he wished the deals got done earlier in the offseason. He also stressed that the locker room leaders are keeping the group focused amid the uncertainty of the negotiations.

"We truly want everybody to just be able to maximize what they can do and their potential," Heyward said. "We understand this game isn't for long and every player has to do that. That's just a fact. If you didn't, you'd be a shame on you. You'd be not taking advantage of the opportunity you can, but I wish it would get done earlier. I wish everything was done in February if we could."

Steelers' Heyward: NFL's franchise tag is 'stupid'

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