The Steelers’ standoff with Joey Porter Jr. has come to an end. The star cornerback is being shipped to the Cowboys, per The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero.
Dallas is sending a second-round pick along with a conditional sixth-rounder to Pittsburgh in the swap, NFL insider Jordan Schultz adds. The second-round pick will come in 2028 while the sixth-rounder will be conveyed next year, according to WFAA’s Ed Werder. Days after Dallas surfaced as a known Porter suitor, along with other NFC teams, a deal is done.
Porter, 26, did not receive any extension offers he deemed acceptable from the Steelers in a brief negotiating window before Week 1. No known offer emerged until at least late August, and a reported proposal averaging around $27MM per year did not move the needle — guarantee-wise — for Porter’s camp. Save for Ben Roethlisberger and T.J. Watt, the Steelers are known to keep post-Year 1 guarantees out of their offers.
He spent all of training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list due to a back injury, though he was also suspecting of holding out due to his contract situation. He then missed Pittsburgh’s first three games with multiple changes to his status on the team’s injury report, including a “non-injury related/conditioning/back” since Week 2. This week, Porter logged full practices Monday and Tuesday (both walkthroughs) before being limited today and ruled out for Thursday’s game.
The saga naturally stoked already-simmering trade speculation. Porter denied that he requested a trade, but multiple teams needing secondary help were quickly linked to a deal. The Cowboys were already dealing with injuries to safety P.J. Locke and cornerback Cobie Durant heading into their Week 3 matchup in Brazil. They returned to Dallas with safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Shavon Revel also hurt, which likely increased their interest in Porter.
A trade of this nature often comes with a contract extension, but Porter has not requested one from the Cowboys, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas’ willingness to move a second-round pick indicates that some interest in retaining Porter long term, but they will want to be sure of his talent, health, and fit before committing major money.
The Cowboys will now have two major contract situations to address during the offseason. Star wide receiver George Pickens – also a former Steelers second-round pick who did not command an immediate extension upon being traded to Dallas – should command well over $30MM per year. He could eclipse a $35MM AAV if he can bounce back from a slow start and approach his elite 2025 numbers by the end of the season.
Porter, meanwhile, will need to take his game to a new level if he wants to break into the club of cornerbacks making $30MM or more per year. He posted impressive coverage statistics in 2025 – 14 passes defended, 5.0 yards per target, 48.5% completion rate allowed – but he has just three career interceptions in 47 games and brings neither slot versatility nor high-end run support. He did cut his penalty count from 29 in his first two seasons to nine last year, but it might take a more significant leap in Dallas (and perhaps Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition) to break into the upper tier of the positional market.
Also impacting the Cowboys’ approach is the availability of the franchise tag for either Pickens or Porter, but crucially, not both. Tagging Pickens for a second year in a row would cost just under $33MM, while Porter’s would be just over $23MM, per OverTheCap.
For Pickens, that might be a solid value if he gets back to last year’s production, and even more so if the wide receiver market continues to grow. Dallas’ own CeeDee Lamb and Vikings All-Pro Justin Jefferson could also seek raises above their current salaries to join the rest of the league’s top wideouts above $40MM per year.
In a cornerback market that exploded to almost $34MM this offseason, a potential $23MM Porter tag would be a steal for the Cowboys. That will give the Cowboys significant leverage in long-term contract talks, if and when they occur. However, the trade does not mean Dallas is pot-committed. Porter’s departure in free agency would likely net them a 2028 third-round compensatory pick, reducing the ultimate cost of the deal.
Pickens and Porter are both represented by David Mulugheta, which could further complicate contract talks with the Cowboys unable to use the franchise tag on both players. Mulugheta represents another four of the team’s pending free agents, per ESPN’s Todd Archer, including offensive tackle Broderick Jones, another recent Pittsburgh early-round pick who was traded to Dallas. Jerry Jones’ attempt to go around the high-powered agent during Micah Parsons negotiations represented one of that 2025 saga’s central storylines.
Porter could suit up for the Cowboys as soon as Sunday’s matchup against the Texans “as long as the back feels good,” according to DLLS Sports’ Clarence Hill Jr. He may need some time in Christian Parker’s defense before stepping into a full-time role, but he profiles as a starter on the boundary opposite DaRon Bland. Along with first-round nickel Caleb Downs, the trio could represent the long-term core of Dallas’ secondary – if they can get a deal done with Porter.
For the Steelers, trading Porter secured better draft compensation than they would have received from his departure in free agency. The Steelers “came to the realization in recent days that they have no choice but to trade [him],” Schultz notes. The Lions and Giants, who were both mentioned as possible suitors this month, “also showed some interest,” but the Cowboys were “persistent and most serious” about a deal.
The Steelers will move forward with Asante Samuel Jr. and Jamel Dean starting on the outside with Jalen Ramsey in the slot. Barring injuries, they may not move for cornerback help immediately with rookie Daylen Everette available off the bench. But with Samuel set to hit free agency in the spring, the position could be at the top of Pittsburgh’s offseason wish list. Dean is signed through the 2028 season, so he could partner with Everette if the third-round pick can emerge as a young starter. Pittsburgh could also seek a veteran upgrade, but with Dean and Ramsey both over 30, making an investment in the 2027 draft class seems likely.
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