Mike McCarthy: Steelers, Joey Porter Jr. are at "impasse"

Joey Porter Jr.'s contract standoff with Pittsburgh remains unresolved, and that's worth flagging as you finalize draft boards this month. A holdout carries real fantasy relevance for anyone drafting IDP or leagues that reward defensive backs, since missed practice time and preseason reps directly affect his readiness and role heading into the season. Right now there's no indication of when or how this resolves, so treat his ADP with caution rather than assuming a clean bill of health and full offseason program.

The added wrinkle is the report, still speculative at only 50% confidence, that Dallas could be a landing spot if Pittsburgh moves on from him. That's a meaningful variable for dynasty and keeper formats especially — a trade would reshuffle his scheme fit, target competition, and defensive role entirely. Until there's confirmation of an actual trade or a new deal, don't bake a change of team into your rankings; this is speculation-level reporting, not a done move.

Actionable takeaway for draft prep: keep Porter on your radar but slot him conservatively given the missed offseason work, and stay ready to check his ADP and situation again closer to the season once there's clarity on either a contract resolution in Pittsburgh or a trade to Dallas. If you're in an IDP league, avoid reaching for him early while this is in limbo — let the holdout play out and reassess as news firms up. Confidence on the holdout itself is high since it's corroborated by both sources; confidence on the Cowboys angle is low and should be treated as one possible outcome among several, not a certainty to draft around.