Joey Porter Jr. says he felt ‘disrespected’ and ‘undervalued’ by Steelers, wants to finish career with Cowboys
After Wednesday’s trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said the back injury that kept him sidelined throughout training camp, the preseason and the first three games of the regular season “feels better.”
The fourth-year pro was ruled out of the Steelers’ Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns to open Week 4. Still, Porter could be available for the Cowboys on Sunday against the Houston Texans after being acquired for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick, according to ESPN.
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“He moved well today,” Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters after Thursday’s practice, via The Athletic. “It was a good start today. It was a positive first day.”
Porter was not listed on the Cowboys’ injury report Thursday.
It would be an impressive recovery for Porter, whose injury status many attribute to the fact that he’s awaiting a new contract with the Steelers. Taking the field quickly after being traded to the Cowboys doesn’t dispel that notion.
Porter himself gave credence to that skepticism in his remarks about his experience in Pittsburgh to reporters Thursday, saying he didn’t feel valued.
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“I definitely felt disrespected, definitely undervalued,” Porter said, via the Cowboys’ official website. “But it’s old news now. That’s how I look at it. I’m on a new start, new chapters. I’m a Cowboy, I’m in Dallas, so I’m happy about that.”
He laughed when it was pointed out to him that his back was doing well in Dallas.
Porter and the Cowboys still have to figure out a new contract, which was the root of his issues with the Steelers. He is reportedly looking for a deal that would pay him an average annual salary of $30 million, which would put him among the top six cornerbacks in the NFL, according to Over the Cap.
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However, Porter seems assured a new deal will be reached. He has made it clear that he wants to continue playing in Dallas.
“I’m OK if they are,” he said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “I want to finish my career here.”
Last season, Porter Jr. played in 14 games for Pittsburgh, totaling 52 tackles and 14 passes defensed with one interception. The Steelers’ 2023 second-round selection (32nd overall) out of Penn State has three career interceptions in 47 games over his three NFL seasons.
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