THE Joey Porter Jr. The saga ended when the Steelers traded the cornerback to the Cowboys for two draft picks Wednesday night. Pittsburgh received a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional 2027 sixth-round selection, the latter a formality. The Steelers will get the sixth rounder if Porter is on the Cowboys’ roster at least twice, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.
Porter has been complaining about a back injury since Pittsburgh opened training camp in late July. He missed the Steelers’ first three games and would have missed their Thursday night game against the Browns, but the healing process has accelerated since the trade. Porter completed his physical with Dallas on Thursday and participated in practice. He even has the chance to make his Cowboys debut on Sunday against the Texans.
(RELATED: Fallout from latest Cowboys-Steelers trade)
“He moved well today,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer observed (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “It was a good start today. It was a positive first day.”
Porter also offered a positive update after practice, telling Machota and other reporters that his back was “feel better” and adding that he could be ready for Week 4. As for Porter’s long-term outlook, the fourth-year veteran indicated he wants to stay in Dallas for good.
“I agree if they are”, » Porter said. “I want to finish my career here.
Porter, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, engaged in controversial extension talks with the Steelers before the season. general manager Omar Khan wouldn’t even make him an offer a few days before they opened, and even though the offer was worth $27 million a year, that wasn’t enough.
Thanks to the Steelers’ long-standing policy of ending extension negotiations at the start of the season, there was no chance they would reach a deal with Porter in 2026. Porter was unwilling to play out his contract year with the Steelers, who he said disrespected and undervalued him, but the Cowboys believe he is willing to do it for them, according to reports from WFAA’s Ed Werder and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Porter basically confirmed it on Thursday, saying he would. “bet on yourself” in Dallas (via Archer). A reason? His family’s long-standing affinity for the franchise.
“My whole family has been Dallas fans their whole lives” the 26-year-old said (via Machota). “Even my dad was a Dallas fan, my mom and everything. So this isn’t the first time we’ll have stars in the house. But now that we’re here, they’re going to be pretty tough, so I’m excited about that.
Porter’s father, a former linebacker who played 13 years in the NFL, spent eight successful seasons in Pittsburgh. He then coached there from 2015 to 2018. His son was born in Wexford, Pennsylvania, attended Penn State and joined the Steelers as the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 draft, but has now left the state due to irreconcilable differences over his value.
The Cowboys could eventually make Porter one of the highest-paid corners in the league, but that may depend on his ability to help repair a struggling, injury-ravaged defense. As of now, he and the wide receiver and former Steelers teammate George Pickens are the highest-profile impending free agents on Dallas’ roster.
THE Jerry JonesThe Cowboys-led Cowboys kept Pickens via the franchise tag last offseason, and if both players remain unsigned heading into free agency in 2027, the team could have an interesting pick on their hands. Re-tagging Pickens would result in a $32.76 million bill, while designating Porter as a franchise player would cost the Cowboys around $23 million.
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