Steelers trade Porter Jr. to Cowboys for two picks — SkimNews
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- Pittsburgh Steelers traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder, ending a monthslong contract standoff centered on guaranteed money within the deal's structure.
- The 2027 pick carries a condition: Porter must appear on the Cowboys' gameday roster for two games this season, otherwise Pittsburgh gets the better compensation slot, per a source.
- Porter — a 2023 second-round pick who started 41 games with three interceptions in three seasons — sat out all of training camp and the preseason, was on the PUP list until late August, and was inactive for the first three games due to a back injury.
- The Steelers have a longstanding organizational principle of not negotiating during the regular season, which ended talks; coach Mike McCarthy said the cornerback was progressing through a "ramp-up" phase during the first month of the season.
- The Cowboys' secondary is depleted: Cobie Durant is out with a hamstring strain, Shavon Revel injured his left knee and ankle in the Week 3 loss to the Ravens, and backups Caelen Carson and Ameer Speed finished that game opposite DaRon Bland.
- There is a "chance" Porter makes his Cowboys debut Sunday against the Houston Texans, per a league source.
- This is the third Cowboys-Steelers trade in two years, following the George Pickens deal in May 2025 and the Broderick Jones swap in August.
Why it matters: The Cowboys are gambling a 2028 second-rounder on a cornerback who hasn't played a snap this season due to a back injury, and the games-played clause on the 2027 pick means they lose value if he can't get on the field twice. The Steelers walk away with two future picks for a player who never suited up for them in 2025, while Dallas's depleted secondary now leans on a health question mark.
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