Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called his shot on making a huge trade — late Wednesday night, he actually pulled it off.
“Trade! The Steelers and Cowboys are finalizing a deal sending CB Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas,” NFL insider Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account. “The standoff is over: Joey Porter Jr. is about to be a Cowboy, while the Steelers move forward with a big game against the Browns on Thursday night.”
“BREAKING: Steelers are trading CB Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys, per sources,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “Cowboys are sending a 2028 2nd round pick and a conditional 2027 6th to the Steelers in the trade … deal is being finalized tonight.”
Porter, a 2023 2nd-round pick (No. 32 overall), is in the final season of a 4-year, $9.86 million contract. Spotrac projects Porter Jr., the son of legendary NFL linebacker Joey Porter, has a market value of a 4-year, $109.6 million contract extension.
It’s the 2nd year in a row the Cowboys traded with the Steelers for a young star — Dallas traded a 3rd-round pick and a 5th-round pick for wide receiver George Pickens before the 2025 season, and he went on to have his 1st NFL All-Pro season with Dallas.
“From a source: the Cowboys are giving up a sixth-round pick in 2027 and a second rounder in 2028 for Porter,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on his official X account.
Porter Engaged in Contract Battle With Steelers
Porter Jr. had been in a long-running standoff with the Steelers over a contract extension.
The Cowboys are 1-2 and travel to face the winless Houston Texans in Week 4 and are in desperate need of help in the secondary.
“Joey Porter Jr. to be traded to the Cowboys per source,” NFL on Prime’s James Palmer wrote on his official X account. “Dallas and Pittsburgh have done several deals lately and new DC Christian Parker gets a cover CB that they and he have had their eye on for a few weeks.”
“BREAKING: The Steelers are trading CB Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys for a package that includes a 2nd-round pick,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account. “Jerry Jones is going for it.”
Cowboys Hit Projected Cost for Landing Porter Jr.
The cost to land Porter had long been projected as a 2nd- or 3rd-round pick.
“Porter has maintained his desire to be compensated as a top-level corner, a position that has seen five players reach or eclipse the $30 million per year mark since the start of last offseason, including a record-setting four-year, $133 million contract for Seattle Seahawks star Devon Witherspoon,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote on August 25. “While Porter probably won’t reset the market, he’s due for a major raise over the $4 million in base salary he’s due in 2026. The corner has been a lynchpin in Pittsburgh’s secondary since being drafted No. 32 overall in 2023. In that span, the second-rounder has appeared in 41 games — starting 41 — and recorded 165 tackles, 31 pass defenses and three interceptions.”
Dallas Cowboys Make Blockbuster Trade for Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr.