The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys, according to multiple media outlets.
The Steelers are receiving a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round selection from the Cowboys, Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports confirmed.
After being selected with a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter is playing out the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $3.924 million. Porter and the Steelers failed to reach a contract extension this offseason.
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Porter will not get an imminent extension in Dallas, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Porter hasn’t asked for one yet either, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported.
Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan had reiterated on Aug. 31 that the team was not dealing with overtime during the season, and no deal had been reached when the Steelers faced the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
Porter has not played this season and was ruled out of the Steelers’ game Thursday night against the Browns. He is dealing with a back injury, but many believed his contract situation played a role in his absence from the game. It remains to be seen whether he will play for the Cowboys on Sunday.
Reports earlier today indicated that the Lions and Giants offered third-round picks for Porter, but neither team offered a second-round pick. Apparently that changed Wednesday evening.
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Porter is the third Steelers player traded to the Cowboys in 17 months. In May 2025, the Cowboys acquired wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. In August, the Cowboys sent two 2027 draft picks (third and sixth) to Pittsburgh in exchange for tackle Broderick Jones and a 2027 fourth-rounder.
The cornerback likely wanted to be paid like a top player at his position, but after Christian Gonzalez (four years, $135 million) and Devon Witherspoon (four years, $132 million) signed mega-deals this offseason, Pittsburgh opted out of a record deal and completed a trade.
Porter was drafted with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which was technically the first pick of the second round. The Miami Dolphins saw their pick lost after the league found them guilty of tampering.
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As a rookie, Porter played in all 17 games, starting 11. The corner totaled 43 tackles, 1 interception and 10 passes defended.
During his three-year career, Porter collected 165 combined tackles, 3 interceptions and 31 passes defended. Last year, the corner played in 14 games and finished with 52 total tackles, one sack, one interception and 14 passes defensed.
The cornerback is the son of former NFL player and Steelers star Joey Porter. He was a linebacker in the NFL from 1999 to 2011, splitting his time between the Steelers, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. During his career, he totaled 689 tackles and 12 interceptions in 188 games.
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