Cam Heyward calls the franchise tag ‘stupid’ as Steelers near a Joey Porter Jr. deadline
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward has expressed his disdain for the franchise tag system, calling it "stupid" as the team nears a deadline with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to agree on a new contract. Heyward, who is over the franchise tag, believes the one-year deal, which pays the average of the top five salaries at his position, hampers players and should not allow teams to take advantage of them for just one year.
The Steelers have a history of using the franchise tag, most notably with Le'Veon Bell in 2017 and 2018, but Heyward criticized the practice, stating that it is backward and that it controls rookies' options. Heyward praised Porter's growth and improvement since his rookie season in 2023, emphasizing that he has not allowed a touchdown in primary coverage since then.
Porter is in the final year of his rookie contract and has missed all of training camp due to a back injury. Coach Mike McCarthy described Porter as still in "ramp-up" mode.
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