Joey Porter Jr. is officially a starter for the Cowboys, and it happened fast, real fast. Just three days after landing in Dallas from the Steelers via trade, the dude saw 25 snaps against the Texans on Sunday. Now? He’s listed as a full-on starter.
From Trade Block to Starting Spot: The Quickest Flip You’ll See
Think about that for a second. Three days. That’s all it took for Porter Jr. to go from a Steelers uniform to the Cowboys’ depth chart as a starter. He could be playing even more snaps this Thursday night, too, all because he’s apparently already locked in on the playbook and his conditioning is up to snuff. Porter Jr. himself is feeling good about it, but he knows the drill.
“I feel comfortable about that, but it’s all really up to the coaches and what they have for me,” Porter said, via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News. “I just got here not too long ago, so I’m still trying to learn everything and get the grasp of how things are run here. So it’s really up to them.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer echoed that, saying they’d figure out Porter’s snaps “as we go.” But you can tell the coach is absolutely hyped on what he’s seen so far.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Porter Jr. Is a Shutdown Corner
Schottenheimer isn’t just giving out compliments for fun. He’s genuinely impressed. “I love the way this guy practices,” Schottenheimer said, via Nicole Hutchinson of the team website. “Doesn’t say much in practice; he just goes about his business. Very intentional. I’m blown away by the guy with how he’s come in and been willing to learn.”
And let’s talk about the stat sheet, because this is where Porter Jr. gets scary good. This guy hasn’t allowed a single touchdown in his last 1,685 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s not a typo. That’s a ridiculous, game-changing number. The Texans’ quarterback, C.J. Stroud, only targeted Porter once on Sunday, and it was an incompletion. You don’t get stats like that by accident.
So, keep your eyes peeled Thursday night. Porter Jr. is set to hit the field for what could be his biggest snap count yet, and if he keeps up this insane level of play, the league is going to be talking about this trade for a long, long time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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