The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly close to moving on from cornerback Joey Porter Jr. after stalled extension negotiations.
The Steelers traded Porter to the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. ESPN’s Todd Archer provided details on the deal:
Despite the trade, the Cowboys do not plan to immediately sign Porter to an extension and will instead play out the year on his current contract, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.
Porter, who has yet to play this season, is under the $4.9 million cap hit in the final year of his rookie contract.
The Steelers attempted to finalize an extension for Porter this offseason, but failed to find a solution before the franchise’s Week 1 trade deadline, which general manager Omar Khan told reporters in August the franchise had no plans to change.
Porter was placed on the PUP list in early August after reportedly aggravating a back injury. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said later that month that the team was at an “impasse” in contract negotiations with Porter.
The cornerback ultimately missed the first three games for the Steelers before being traded without playing a single snap in 2026.
The news comes after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Cowboys had joined teams including the Detroit Lions in investigating Porter.
The Cowboys ultimately won this potential bidding war as part of the team’s continued effort to overhaul its defense.
Dallas began last season by acquiring Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, then added Rashan Gary before signing Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence last spring.
The Cowboys will now continue that effort by addressing the secondary, which struggled early in the season after losing Cobie Durant to injury.
Dallas is hoping that adding more pass protection will help the team improve on its 1-2 start to the season.
Porter missed three games due to injuries last season, including two with a hamstring issue and one with a hip injury.
When available, he recorded 52 tackles, 14 passes defended, one sack and one interception while playing 94 percent of the Steelers’ defensive snaps.
These snaps primarily involved defense and run coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. Porter ranked in the top five in the NFL in yards allowed per coverage last season, according to PFSN.
Porter has not allowed a touchdown on a regular-season coverage snap since Week 8 of the 2023 season, according to NFL Next Gen stats cited by former NFL scout Matt Williamson.
His defensive efforts down the stretch were a major reason the Steelers reached the playoffs before losing in the Wild Card round to the Houston Texans.
The Steelers responded to that playoff loss by bringing in McCarthy to replace longtime head coach Mike Tomlin this offseason.
McCarthy, who said in August that he would like to coach Porter, now hopes to see his franchise make a few more moves before the deadline in order to strengthen its secondary in Porter’s absence.
Gn sports
