Joey Porter Jr. Has Allowed One Catch For Five Yards, And Richard Sherman Just Called His Bluff

Joey Porter Jr. has only allowed one catch for five yards on nine targets in his three games with the Cowboys, but that hasn’t quieted everyone. Just days after joining Dallas, Porter was inactive with an unexpected illness, sparking questions about whether he was truly “all-in” with his new squad. The Cowboys had already made it clear they aren’t dishing out a new contract extension this season, adding another layer of drama to the situation.

The Drama Behind the Numbers

Porter’s journey to Dallas was already a rocky one. He didn’t play in four games for the Steelers before the trade, upset about not landing a contract extension. He was also dealing with an “on-again, off-again back issue,” which apparently cleared right up once the Cowboys traded a 2027 sixth-round draft pick for him. He suited up and played for Dallas just three days after the deal went down. But then, *poof*, he was out the very next week, inactive due to an unexpected illness. That quick turnaround from “no back issue” to “sick as a dog” raised eyebrows, including those of Richard Sherman. On Amazon Prime Video, Sherman didn’t mince words, suggesting, “I think maybe if [the Cowboys] had given him a new contract, he’d have been a little healthier today.” Talk about a public challenge!

“They’ll Be Quiet Soon,” He Says

Porter, though, is brushing off the noise. He told Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he’s “unbothered.” He knows “the real” and “the truth,” saying he doesn’t “really pay too much attention online to what they have to say.” His strategy is simple: “I just got to keep doing my job on Sundays. Once they see the tape, they’ll know. They’ll be quiet soon.” And to his credit, the tape *does* show a lockdown corner. That single catch for five yards on nine targets? That’s exactly what the Cowboys expected when they brought him in. He’s been playing like the shutdown guy they paid for, but the chatter around his commitment isn’t dying down quite yet.

It’s clear Porter thinks his play will do all the talking. But with big names like Richard Sherman throwing shade, and a contract dispute still simmering in the background, he’s going to have to keep proving it every single snap. What’s next for Porter and the Cowboys? Every game is a chance for him to silence those critics.

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.