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Joey Porter Jr. was traded to the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys battled their in-state rivals, the Houston Texans, in a back-and-forth game, but Dallas came out on top with a 34-30 win.
Dallas’ offense delivered a solid performance, led by Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Their game-winning touchdown late in the game sealed the victory for the Cowboys.
As for the defense, it leaves a lot to be desired after allowing 397 yards of offense, including 335 passing yards. Many Cowboys fans are eager to see cornerback Joey Porter Jr. who made his first appearance with the team after being traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Porter hasn’t played many snaps, the sample size shows his potential.
Joey Porter Jr.’s Stats From First Game With Dallas Cowboys
If fans check the box score, they may see Porter’s name missing because he didn’t record any stats. He was on the field, though; 105.3 The Fan’s Bobby Belt shared Porter’s coverage stats for the game.
“Joey Porter Jr. had 16 coverage snaps per @SumerSports : 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 targets.”
Pro Football Focus gave Porter a 69.7 overall grade for his first game. He earned a coverage grade of 69.3 and a run-defense grade of 60.0.
The Steelers traded Porter to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Pittsburgh originally drafted Porter in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In 47 games, he had 165 tackles, 31 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.
It was Porter’s first game of the 2026 season after dealing with a back injury. He has also been in a contract dispute with the Steelers since the offseason.
What to Do with Joey Porter Jr.’s Debut With the Dallas Cowboys?
It may not have been the standout performance Cowboys fans were hoping for, but Houston clearly moved on from Porter. They didn’t throw it once during the game.
That shows respect for NFL offenses that Porter is on the field. They purposely don’t throw it away when he’s on the field.
It was a long time, and the Cowboys didn’t throw him into the fire right away. He still has a lot to learn on defense.
It will be more difficult for him because the Cowboys are on a short week, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the schedule for Week 5 on Thursday night. That means Porter has played two games with the Cowboys in about a week.
His snap count may increase, but he’s also likely to be limited, as two games a week isn’t enough time to learn the scheme. Still, he shows why the Cowboys gave up two picks to trade him.
Anthony Miller Anthony Miller is a veteran reporter covering the WNBA and College Football for Heavy.com. He has been with Heavy since 2026, as he has covered many professional leagues such as the NFL, WNBA, UFL, XFL, USFL, PLL, MLS, and more since 2019. Currently, he covers the UFL as a reporter for the UFL News Hub and FanSided as a site expert and contributor covering the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings. More about Anthony Miller