Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. appeared to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a bone when he said last Thursday he foresaw playing again this season. But with a late Wednesday night trade, Porter will play for the Dallas Cowboys, not the Steelers, as early as this Sunday.
Less than 12 hours after the trade, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler strongly suggested in a report a trade was inevitable because the cornerback had no real intentions to ever play for the Steelers again.
“This had been coming for weeks with the Steelers,” Fowler said on ESPN, via Steelers Depot. “Porter had no interest in playing for this team anymore when they didn’t reach a long-term deal. He wanted to be traded, and when it became clear, despite some optimism internally, that he wasn’t gonna play in this Thursday night game, they decided, ‘We gotta make a move on this now.'”
In the same media session last Thursday, Porter denied he had requested a trade. That ran contrary to what ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on September 13.
Now on October 1, it appears that report probably was true, but its validity is largely irrelevant. According to Fowler, Porter wanted out in Pittsburgh. Whether he put in a format trade request or now, he was doing what he could to make that possible.
It now appears that includes faking, or at least over-exaggerating, a back injury.
Joey Porter Jr.’s Strained Relationship With Steelers
Fowler’s report is a pretty easy one to recognize with the ability of hindsight. It also explains why the Steelers made the trade Wednesday.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported Porter’s back flare-up this week was the last straw for the team. With that flare-up, it became clear, despite what he may have implied last week, that if he played again this season, it wouldn’t be for the Steelers.
Whatever the reason, an insulting contract offer in his eyes or something else, Porter’s relationship with the Steelers was beyond repair.
“At this point in the saga, there was no-long term future for Porter,” wrote Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora immediately after the trade. “You could carry him through a year and deal with the mess at (at best) try to tag/trade in the offseason.
“But he wasn’t going to sign a contract in Pittsburgh. Pretty clear both sides weren’t close on his value.”
Dulac previously reported Porter wanted his average annual salary to be at least $30 million while the Steelers offered $27 million per season. The guaranteed money in the deal was potentially another sticking point.
Porter Set to Potentially Play Sunday for Cowboys
Adding insult to the trade, Porter could play immediately for the Cowboys despite his back flair-up Wednesday.
Multiple NFL insiders reported the cornerback could make his Cowboys debut Sunday. Porter is also likely to play in Dallas without a long-term extension in place. That was something he wasn’t willing to do in Pittsburgh.
“Sources: The Cowboys will not immediately extending Joey Porter Jr. contract,” wrote NFL insider Jordan Schultz. “Plan is to have him play and make an impact on a team that has Super Bowl aspirations in the NFC.”
That has to be super frustrating for the Steelers. It certainly is for Steelers fans on social media.
The fact Porter will play for Dallas without a contract proves Fowler’s point. Sure, the cornerback still wants a record-setting deal. But after the regular season started, Porter was done with the Steelers. Getting to a new team became his priority over an immediately new contract.
The cornerback is in the final year of his rookie deal. Porter will become an unrestricted free agent in March. The Cowboys, though, could franchise tag the cornerback.
Ironically, former Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is another 2027 tag candidate for Dallas.
Steelers Get Brutal Truth on Joey Porter Jr. After Cowboys Trade