Sept. 30, 2026Up to date Oct. 1, 2026, 12:54 a.m. ET
Joey Porter Jr. is headed to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are finalizing a commerce to ship their beginning cornerback to the Cowboys, based on a number of stories. The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero first reported the pending commerce.
Rumors a couple of potential Porter commerce began ramping up after Week 1, when the cornerback was dominated out of the Steelers‘ season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said {that a} lingering again harm was the rationale Porter was held out, although it was additionally clear all through coaching camp that Porter was in search of a contract extension.
McCarthy instructed reporters in late August that Porter and the Steelers had been at an “deadlock” in contract negotiations, and the 2 sides in the end could not attain a deal earlier than the season. That is a notable deadline for Pittsburgh, a staff that historically doesn’t negotiate contracts as soon as the common season begins. Porter was coming into the ultimate season of his rookie contract in 2026.
Now it seems as if Porter has performed his final snap with the Steelers. This is what we all know concerning the reported commerce:
Joey Porter Jr. harm replace
Porter missed the preseason with the Steelers whereas coping with a again harm that flared up at first of coaching camp. In response to the staff, that again harm can also be why the beginning cornerback missed Pittsburgh’s season-opening win towards the Falcons. McCarthy stated after the sport that Porter was near a return.
“I might clearly nonetheless put him ending up the ramp-up stage so far as the place he’s,” McCarthy stated. “We sat down and talked about it. Speak concerning the plan for subsequent week. He is undoubtedly able to do extra. So we’ll see how that goes. He’ll do one thing tomorrow, after which hopefully we will take his snaps up at Wednesday’s observe.”
All the time within the background of Porter’s harm information is speak of his contract, which is because of expire after this season. When cornerback Jalen Ramsey returned to observe on Aug. 24 after coping with his personal harm, he instructed reporters he was “overly in Joey’s nook.” That was the identical day McCarthy spoke of an “deadlock” in negotiations.
Earlier than Week 1, Porter was a restricted participant in observe day-after-day and had a “questionable” designation for the sport. After Porter was declared inactive for the Steelers’ Week 1 recreation, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette reported that the cornerback was “deemed wholesome sufficient to play” earlier than the sport.
Porter has not performed a snap this season. Regardless of collaborating absolutely in back-to-back walk-throughs this week, the 26-year-old was dominated out earlier Wednesday for the Steelers’ Week 4 recreation towards the Cleveland Browns on Thursday evening.
Joey Porter Jr. contract particulars
- Time period: 4 years
- Whole worth: $9.62 million
- Common annual worth (AAV): $2.4 million
- Assured cash: $8.99 million
Regardless of being the No. 32 total choose within the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter was a second-round choose as a result of Dolphins’ forfeited choice for violating the anti-tampering coverage. That meant, as a non-first-rounder, Porter a) was not eligible for a fifth-year possibility on his rookie deal and b) didn’t obtain a totally assured contract.
Porter was first eligible to signal an extension this offseason after his third yr within the NFL, although he and the Steelers by no means reached an extension deal earlier than the season started. Since Pittsburgh historically doesn’t negotiate contracts through the season, Porter would have needed to wait till after the yr for both an extension or for the Steelers to position the franchise tag on him. As an alternative, he is being traded to a brand new staff.
Joey Porter Jr. commerce particulars
Cowboys obtain:
Steelers obtain:
- 2027 sixth-rounder and 2028 second-rounder, per ESPN.
The Steelers chosen WR George Pickens within the second spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft, LT Broderick Jones within the first spherical of the 2023 NFL Draft and CB Joey Porter Jr. within the second spherical that yr. They’ve now traded all three gamers to the Cowboys.
This story can be up to date when new info turns into accessible.
