Cowboys Acquire Porter From Steelers, Eye Sunday Debut — SkimNews
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- Dallas Cowboys acquired Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder to Pittsburgh in the third deal between the two organizations since May 2025 (following George Pickens and Broderick Jones).
- Porter said he felt 'disrespected' and 'undervalued' by the Steelers after a stalled contract extension that stretched through the offseason and training camp, complicated by a back injury; he is not listed on the Cowboys' injury report and hopes to play Sunday vs. Houston.
- The Cowboys' defense ranks 25th in points allowed (27.3) and 30th in yards (387) through three games, has recorded just two sacks, and is one of four NFL teams without an interception, creating an immediate need for cornerback help with Cobie Durant (hamstring) and Shavon Revel Jr. (knee/ankle) banged up.
- Porter, a second-round pick in 2023 out of Penn State, has just three career interceptions but ranks 13th among defensive backs since 2023 in completion rate allowed (56%) when targeted as the nearest defender, per Next Gen Stats; he also leads all defenders with 36 penalties in that span, including 14 pass-interference flags.
- Defensive coordinator Christian Parker called Porter a 'boundary eraser' and said his man-to-man skills translate to the Cowboys' scheme, while coach Brian Schottenheimer framed the deal as adding a 'young corner that's got elite cover skills' to a depleted group — the same logic that helped George Pickens post career highs (93 catches, 1,429 yards, 9 TDs) after arriving in Dallas.
- Porter said creating turnovers is his 'next step' and that he would be 'down' with finishing his career in Dallas, though any extension will have to wait.
Why it matters: The Cowboys are gambling a 2028 second-round pick on Porter to plug a secondary that ranks 30th in yards and has zero interceptions through three games, with two of their top corners already hurt. The same Steelers-to-Dallas pipeline produced George Pickens' career year, giving Dallas a recent track record to lean on as it asks Porter to be an immediate starter.
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