Cowboys Land Joey Porter Jr. in Steelers Trade for Picks

The Dallas Cowboys acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers late Wednesday night, ending a months-long contract standoff and adding secondary help before Week 4, ESPN and NFL.com reported.

According to sources cited by ESPN, Pittsburgh agreed to send Porter to Dallas for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round selection. NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported the same draft compensation, and NFL.com notes Netflix’s Tom Pelissero first reported the trade while the Cowboys announced the transaction on their site.

Porter, 26, is entering the final year of his 2023 second-round rookie contract. He sought an extension through the offseason, but the sides never closed on guaranteed-money structure, ESPN’s sources said. Pittsburgh then followed its longstanding policy of not negotiating multi-year deals once the regular season begins, both outlets recount.

A lingering back issue kept Porter out of the entire preseason and he did not appear in any of Pittsburgh’s first three games. ESPN reported he had been listed as questionable for each of those weeks and was approaching fuller health; he was nonetheless ruled out for Thursday night’s Steelers–Browns matchup. Field Level Media coverage carried by Reuters likewise frames the deal as Pittsburgh ending the dispute by moving the cornerback.

Dallas sits 1-2 with a secondary already thinning: Cobie Durant missed last week with a hamstring issue and sat practice Wednesday, while Shavon Revel Jr., who filled in, was limited by knee and ankle injuries, Reuters’ Field Level Media wrap said. Porter logged 52 tackles, one sack, one interception, and a career-high 14 passes defensed across 14 starts last season for Pittsburgh.

The swap is the third Cowboys–Steelers trade in two years after the May 2025 deal that sent George Pickens to Dallas, ESPN notes. For readers following roster moves on Sports, verified as of Oct. 1 reports: Porter goes to Dallas for a 2027 sixth and 2028 second; he has not played in 2026 amid the extension impasse and back/conditioning listing; Cowboys announced the acquisition; no immediate extension terms for Dallas were confirmed in the cited reports.