The Steelers refused to give in to Joey Porter Jr. The principled, if outdated, stand may cost them

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joey Porter Jr. spent the last three seasons becoming exactly who the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him to be: an emerging shutdown corner capable of neutralizing the most dynamic playmakers in a conference littered with elite quarterbacks and where big, physical defenders on the outside are in short supply.

As the rangy 6-foot-2 Porter began the final year of his rookie contract, there was an assumption on both sides that a new deal would get done before the 2026 season began.

Standing in the sun outside the team's facility in early June at the start of mandatory minicamp, Porter seemed upbeat talking about what seemed like an eventuality.

Asked if he considered himself one of the top cornerbacks in the league and if it was important for him to be compensated as such, Porter didn't hesitate.

"I feel like I was an elite guy since I’ve been in this league,” said Porter, who didn't allow a touchdown pass in 2024 or 2025. “And I’m happy that I’m getting the respect that I feel I (am) owed.”

That “respect,” at least Porter's version of it, never materialized from the team he once served as a ball boy for. While the Steelers put together deal after deal with Porter's 2023 draft classmates — from Nick Herbig to Darnell Washington to Keeanu Benton — talks between Porter's reps and Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan stalled.

As the opener neared, Porter admitted it was difficult to take his emotions out of the equation. One week's absence due to a back injury whose severity was nebulous at best turned into two, then three, and then four when Porter left practice on Wednesday and the team ruled him out.

A few hours later, he was traded to Dallas. Hours later, Pittsburgh's secondary faltered in crucial moments in a 27-24 loss to Cleveland that dropped the Steelers to 2-2.

“I never really got the chance to coach Joey,” first-year coach Mike McCarthy said afterward. “He obviously did some great things here.”

Apparently not enough for the Steelers to pay Porter the money he was seeking, a somewhat curious decision considering how valuable players with Porter's unique skill set are.

Seattle and New England rode their excellent defenses to the Super Bowl in February. The champion Seahawks lavished Devon Witherspoon with a new contract in August and the Patriots did the same with Christian Gonzalez on the eve of the season.

While Porter doesn't quite have their respective resumes — he's never made the Pro Bowl or been named All-Pro — he was trending in that direction. Unlike most of the stars on the league's highest-paid defense, Porter is entering his prime, not transitioning out of it.

Perhaps even more vitally, the Steelers have no heir apparent.

Last Sunday, Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins toyed with a Porter-less secondary in a game the Bengals might have won if not for a pair of special teams gaffes.

On Thursday night, a seemingly rejuvenated Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson passed for 268 yards, 60 of which came after a second-quarter communication mix-up by rookie Daylen Everette allowed Cleveland wideout Denzel Boston to shake loose on a drive that ended with the Browns taking the lead.

Pittsburgh's decision to not negotiate with Porter once the season started — a longstanding club policy — seems counterproductive for a team trying to “win now."

The retiring Aaron Rodgers and his $20-plus million paycheck will be off the books next season. The team could also move on from some older defensive stars or restructure contracts to provide salary cap relief.

The cap figures will go up again next spring and there will almost certainly be no franchise QB to pay. The money for Porter was there if the Steelers felt compelled to find it. Khan, like every other GM in the NFL, is skilled in the art of massaging the numbers to make things work.

The club ultimately decided Porter wasn't worth it.

And now they have to find a way to slow down Burrow, Lamar Jackson and maybe even Watson to keep pace in the AFC North. And if they want any shot of making a dent in the playoffs, they'll likely have to stop other elite QBs — Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes come to mind — without their best outside cornerback.

Porter was uniquely valuable to the Steelers, and the decision to let him go may sting them for some time.

Giving Jaylen Warren the football. The relentlessly punishing running back had another 126 total yards on Thursday and is on pace for a career year.

Longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward cautioned some things wouldn't be as sharp on a short week and Pittsburgh's poor tackling proved him right.

Wide receiver DK Metcalf seems to have shaken off the drops that dogged him in early September. Metcalf caught five passes for 115 yards and looked like a threat every time he touched the ball.

The late decision-making on both sides of the ball. Pittsburgh's zone played too soft against Watson on Cleveland's game-winning drive. Rodgers opting to chuck it deep on the Steelers' final snap rather than use the middle of the field and call a timeout to set up a long field goal attempt was ill-advised.

Second-year defensive tackle Derrick Harmon spent the second half on the sideline with his left foot in a walking boot. Cornerback Jamel Dean exited with an ankle injury.

0-10 — Pittsburgh's record on the road on Thursday nights against AFC North opponents.

Spend the weekend recovering physically and mentally before regrouping to host Indianapolis on Oct. 11.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Dk Metcalf celebrates against the Cleveland Browns during the second half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers passes under pressure from Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse during the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt celebrates against the Cleveland Browns during the second half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/David Richard)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Group of Seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks, starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel after the fuel recently hit record high prices in the United States.

President Donald Trump said the diesel release would happen “immediately,” echoing a G7 promise to start “immediately” with a “frontloaded substantial release” of diesel within the next 20 days and the rest over four months.

Trump and his Republican Party face pressure to address surging prices ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and Trump announced the action Friday on social media. The president's approval ratings on the economy hit a new low, according to an AP-NORC poll, as the Iran war and his trade battles have increased U.S. prices for oil and other goods.

Gas prices in the U.S. and abroad have soared during the eight-month-long war, a cost Trump has repeatedly said is worth it for making sure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. The national average for a gallon of diesel in the U.S. was $6.37 on Friday, according to AAA, after hitting a record $6.52 on Sept. 22. Diesel prices have hit records in Europe, too.

The release of diesel in Europe might mean less exports of diesel from the U.S., which could lower prices by 25-50 cents per gallon after a few weeks, said Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation, a non-partisan research institution focused on energy and economics.

France holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group and made the announcement in a statement released after videoconference talks that Macron presided over. The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., plus EU representation.

The release follows on from a March announcement that International Energy Agency member countries would release 426 million barrels of oil and products to stabilize the oil market. European Union countries committed about 92 million barrels, a promise weighted toward refined products made from crude such as diesel.

“This common decision and this unity should bring down prices,” Macron said. “The volumes we’re releasing should also add liquidity to the market and bring down prices.”

In addition to the rise in the price of the crude oil from which diesel is made, other factors include the decision by Russia to ban exports due to Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries. Europe does not import Russian diesel, but other buyers of Russian diesel such as Turkey and Latin American countries must now compete with Europe for available barrels.

Meanwhile refined product shipments from the Persian Gulf producers have fallen due to war damage and blocked export routes.

The statement pushed U.S. oil prices down 2% but “the impact was lessened by lack of clarity on an important question,” said Pavel Molchanov, investment strategy analyst at Raymond James. Is the 100 million barrels in addition to the amount already agreed in March, or “is this the final portion of the existing pledge?” he said.

Some Republicans in the U.S. had called for Trump to ban U.S. exports of diesel to try to bring domestic prices down. But the G7 statement said the group agreed not to limit energy exports to each other. Oil market analysts warn a U.S. export ban could lower prices in the short term but eventually backfire by reducing supplies of gasoline since diesel output can't be lowered without also cutting overall refinery production.

Asked about a potential U.S. export ban on Friday, Trump said “we were never going to do it.”

“We’re not going to be doing the export ban,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We’re going to be doing what we’re supposed to do.” He added that Europe is making “a major world contribution, and so are we.”

The emergency release could also be a short-term fix with the potential to do long-term harm, said Jim Krane, energy research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute.

“Draining stocks will reduce retail fuel prices for a while, at the cost of leaving Europe with less emergency cover,” Krane said. “At some point in the future Europe and the rest of the G7 will have to refill their strategic reserves. Normally they try to do this when prices are low. Nobody knows when that will happen. It’s a risk.”

With two wars raging that involve attacks on refineries and exports, “it’s not the best time to be frittering away your emergency stocks -- especially when there is no visibility on future prices or peace agreements,” Krane said.

Trump had a conversation overnight with Macron about the need to address rising fuel prices and the availability of petroleum products, according to the French Embassy in the U.S. Macron on Friday then chaired the videoconference of G7 leaders to discuss the issue.

Besides his call with Macron, Trump on Friday called in to the meeting with the G7 leaders to negotiate the release of the European diesel stockpiles, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trump on Thursday embarked on what he said would be a 32-day marathon of rallies to try to bolster his party's chances for keeping control of the U.S. House and Senate in the November elections. The president has grown increasingly frustrated with what he sees as a disconnect between his achievements and the public’s view of his work. This week he gave himself an A-plus for his work on the economy but said “we’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion.”

Leicester reported from Paris. AP writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report. AP Business Writer David McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany and Cathy Bussewitz contributed from New York.

France President Emmanuel Macron attends a news conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

President Donald Trump arrives on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)