The Pittsburgh Steelers just shipped cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys, completing a trade that many folks saw coming a mile away given how the Steelers usually operate their business. Porter will reunite with former Steelers teammates Broderick Jones and George Pickens, both of whom Dallas acquired recently, in a move that signals a huge shift for both franchises. Dallas gave up a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to get Porter, a deal that looks totally different depending on which side you’re on.
Dallas Just Landed a Cornerback God, And They Barely Paid For It
Let’s be real, the Dallas Cowboys were embarrassed in Rio de Janeiro, letting the Baltimore Ravens complete a 27-yard pass and then hit a game-winning 56-yard field goal in just seven seconds. Seven seconds! While you can point fingers at defensive coordinator Christian Parker for that bonehead play call after the touchback, the bottom line is Dallas absolutely needed a top-tier lead cornerback. They’ve coughed up seven passing touchdowns in just three weeks. Cornerback DaRon Bland is getting cooked, allowing a passer rating of 108.8 in coverage. Cobie Durant was out last week with a hamstring injury, so yeah, they were desperate.
Enter Joey Porter Jr. When this dude is healthy and ready to roll, he’s gonna be the Cowboys’ clear-cut No. 1 cover man on the boundary. In his three seasons with Pittsburgh, he piled up 31 pass breakups, nabbed three interceptions, and allowed a ridiculously low 57.2 passer rating in coverage. This guy was always touted for his man-coverage skills coming out of Penn State. He can shadow opposing lead wide receivers and force QBs to look elsewhere. Dallas’s pass coverage should be way better going forward, assuming Porter’s back injury clears up.
And here’s the kicker: Dallas didn’t even give up a premium 2027 draft pick, which is huge with all the buzz around those top prospects. NFL insider Jordan Schultz says Dallas isn’t even expected to sign Porter to a new deal, which was the whole reason he bounced from Pittsburgh. The Cowboys snag an established, ascending player, keep their top 2027 picks, and skip all the headache of contract talks that basically sidelined Porter in Pittsburgh. Seriously, this is a slam dunk for Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office. Grade: A.
The Steelers’ Old Habits Cost Them Porter Jr. Big Time
On the flip side, what the heck are the Steelers doing? Grade: D. Everyone knows the Steelers are tighter than a drum with guaranteed money, and they famously don’t negotiate with players during the regular season. Porter’s been dealing with a back injury and a contract dispute since training camp. Back in July, Chris Mack from the Kaboly and Mack podcast said there’s a “belief” Porter wanted an extension averaging around $30 million. That’s totally reasonable, right? Look at guys like Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon, who came into the league in 2023 with Porter. They signed deals averaging $33.75 million and $33 million, respectively.
Instead of paying the man, Pittsburgh traded him. Mike DeFabo of The Athletic hit the nail on the head, saying that while Porter gets a lot of flak, GM Omar Khan and the Steelers deserve some blame too. DeFabo wrote, “While most of the public criticism has been pointed at Porter, the Steelers should not be absolved of blame. Khan has a history of letting negotiations linger to the last minute. That comes along with two long-standing (and, arguably, outdated) front-office policies: The Steelers rarely give out guaranteed money and they don’t negotiate contracts during the season.”
So, their own stubbornness and outdated policies just cost them a premier cornerback for a couple of late-round picks. Dallas gets way better, and Pittsburgh looks like they’re stuck in the past. What does this mean for the Steelers? It just shows you their front office is still playing by old rules, and that’s a tough look when top talent is walking out the door over contract stalemates. For Dallas, though, their secondary just got a massive boost, and the rest of the league just got put on notice.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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