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Joey Porter Jr. was traded to the Dallas Cowboys
To no surprise and to the dismay of Pittsburgh Steelers fans, Joey Porter Jr. will reportedly make his 2026 season debut on Sunday, just four days after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
Joey Porter Jr. is Ready to Make His 2026 Season Debut
According to Jordan Schultz’s Saturday night report, sources indicate that Porter is on track to play when the Cowboys face the Texans in Houston at 1:00 pm ET. So in a stroke of conviction, Porter miraculously recovered from the back injury that kept him inactive for the first three weeks of the season with the Steelers and was about to include Pittsburgh’s loss on Thursday Night Football that followed the news of the trade.
Porter and the Steelers are Stuck in a Contractual Impasse
However, Porter’s desire for a new long-term contract that paid him as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and the Steelers’ refusal to grant him his request led the franchise and player down a path full of offseason drama that then spilled into the season. And Pittsburgh’s refusal to budge from their long-standing rule of not negotiating with players once games are underway has sparked the need for both sides to continue.
But the Cowboys saw enough value in Porter to send a 2027 sixth-round and 2028 second-round pick to Pittsburgh. And showing appreciation and happiness about being away from the Steelers and Dallas in particular, Porter immediately decided to adjust his stance about not playing without an extension.
Porter Still Has Much To Prove In His Young Career
Through three seasons in the NFL after being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Penn State, Porter has 165 total tackles in 41 starts in 47 games. He also had three tackles for a loss, three interceptions and a sack. But despite his consistent production and shutout ability, Porter has yet to be named a Pro Bowler, adding even more motivation for the 26-year-old son of former Steelers all-time great Joey Porter Sr. to prove his true worth to his new team.
Mike Asti Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with an extensive resume and skillset, most notably during his time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti serves as Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads coverage of WVU sports. He also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market. Asti contributes to Sirius XM’s Big 12 channel, hosts the ‘Mike Drop’ podcast as part of the Bleave Network and serves as one of the hosts of LockedOn NHL Game Night. More about Mike Asti