Joey Porter Jr. is joining the Dallas Cowboys, as various reports indicate.
Porter’s situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers was complicated due to a contractual disagreement and a persistent back issue, which kept him out of action at the season’s start. However, a recent trade—marking the third exchange between Pittsburgh and Dallas in the last few years—has now landed Porter in the NFC East.
In this trade, the Cowboys are sending a sixth-round pick in 2027 and a second-round pick in 2028 to the Steelers in return for the cornerback, who was the 32nd overall pick by Pittsburgh in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Let’s break down some evaluations.
Cowboys grade for Joey Porter Jr. trade
Jerry Jones is still focused on bolstering the defense.
Last season, the Cowboys had significant struggles on defense, particularly in pass coverage. They allowed opponents an Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt figure of 8.0, which was the second-worst in the NFL, just behind the New York Jets—famous for not recording a single interception the entire year.
This led to a busy offseason aimed at shoring up the defense. Beyond trading for Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, Dallas also added Cobie Durant and Von Miller through free agency, while utilizing two first-round picks on defenders Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. They even drafted Jaishawn Barham in the third round and LT Overton in the fourth.
However, mounting injuries have put pressure on the secondary. Depth has been severely tested as Durant is nursing a hamstring issue, while safeties P.J. Locke, Jalen Thompson, and Malik Hooker have also faced injuries. On top of that, cornerback Shavon Revel hurt his knee during a Week 3 loss to the Ravens after previously injuring his ankle.
These injuries have forced Downs, who is naturally a safety, to shift into the slot, while DaRon Bland, more suited to the slot, had to step outside.
Bringing in Porter provides first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker with a solid solution to these problems. Porter can play outside, allowing Bland to return to the slot and Downs to slide back to safety. Alternatively, Parker might choose to keep Bland on the outside next to Porter, forming a robust corner duo while keeping Downs in the slot for added support against the run.
In any case, a defense that seemed short on options suddenly feels more versatile.
And given that the Cowboys are only giving up a sixth-round pick in 2027 and a second-round pick in 2028, that seems like a reasonable cost for acquiring a high-caliber corner and addressing some defensive weaknesses.
Steelers grade for Joey Porter Jr. trade
The decision to move Porter had become rather inevitable in recent weeks.
But, looking back, perhaps it didn’t have to be.
At the beginning of the offseason, Porter’s demands for a contract—reportedly seeking top-tier cornerback pay—were unlikely to be satisfied. The situation became even trickier as it was underscored by the big contracts handed out to both Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez.
This made it increasingly difficult for general manager Omar Khan, whether looking to renegotiate with Porter or facilitate a trade.
While he managed to extract what he could from the trade, one can’t help but think about what might have been possible had the deal occurred last March. Because in exchange for a young cornerback drafted at No. 32 overall, a sixth-round pick in 2027 and a second-round pick in 2028 hardly feels like a fair return. It’s worth noting that this did effectively make Porter a second-round selection, as the Miami Dolphins lost their first-round pick that year due to anti-tampering violations.
One might reasonably expect a trade back in the spring could have netted Pittsburgh at least a second-round pick for 2027 or even a first-rounder.
Conversely, Pittsburgh could have moved closer to meeting Porter’s contract demands and secured a deal with him before the contracts for Witherspoon and Gonzalez got finalized, thereby keeping a promising young talent in the fold for a few more years.
Instead, he’s now off to Dallas.
By delaying, Pittsburgh had no choice but to accept whatever offer they could get.
