Pittsburgh Steelers trade CB Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas Cowboys

The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys, according to Tom Pelissero of Netflix and The Ringer. Porter has been rumored to be on the trade block for a few weeks now. A deal now gets done late Wednesday night, being the second major one between two of the NFL’s iconic franchises. Shortly after the news broke, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was able to provide further information on the trade. Pittsburgh will be receiving a 2028 second-round pick from Dallas as the main piece. The Steelers will also be receiving a conditional 2027 sixth-rounder. So, a pair of picks heading across the way, while the Cowboys get another player the bolster the roster. Even three games into the season, secondary help was desperately needed in Dallas. The position group was an area of focus in free agency this offseason, and even the draft. Dipping into the trade market to acquire Porter bolsters the group even more — this time at cornerback. Injuries have struck the Cowboys just three weeks into the year. Defensive backs have seemingly been dropping like flies. Three appeared on Wednesday’s injury report before facing the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon. Newly signed safety Jalen Thompson was recently placed on Injured Reserve as well. Apparently, Porter has been hurt during the 2026 season as well. Porter has been looking for a new contract but did not take the field for three weeks due to a back issue. Of course, the Cowboys will conduct a physical and make sure everything is okay. More on Joey Porter Jr., time with the Pittsburgh Steelers Porter is a former second-round selection of the Steelers at No. 32 overall. While he did not hear his name called on Thursday night, the Friday wait only lasted a couple of minutes. The moment turned out to be pretty special as well, being a Pennsylvania native and playing his college football at Penn State. Three seasons ensued. Porter played in 47 total games, starting in 41 of them. His lone honor was a top-five Defensive Rookie of the Year spot in 2023. However, the stat sheet looks pretty good and will be welcomed in Dallas. In total, Porter recorded 165 tackles, three of which were for a loss. He put up nice numbers when dropping into coverage with 31 defended passes. Three interceptions are on there as well, splitting the trio evenly throughout the year.