The Dallas Cowboys have been busy in the buildup to their Week 4 contest, as they recently swung a blockbuster trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Due to a contract dispute and a back injury, Porter has yet to take the field this season, but that seems set to change immediately now that he has found his way to the Cowboys.
The addition of Porter will immediately bolster Dallas’ secondary, and you can bet teams in the NFC East have taken note of this aggressive early season move. One guy this will have a pretty big impact on is Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, as he will now go up against Porter twice this season. When reflecting on the deal, McLaurin didn’t hold back when discussing the Cowboys’ decision to acquire the talented cornerback.
Terry McLaurin Makes Thoughts on Joey Porter Jr. Very Clear
While Dallas has a solid cornerback in DaRon Bland leading the way at this spot, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been unable to find him a solid partner early in the season. Rather than waiting for someone to emerge, the team went out and freed the Steelers from their long-running dispute with Porter.
A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter has established himself as a top-tier cornerback early in his career. While he’s not on the same level as guys like Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon who received mega extensions over the offseason, Porter believed he was deserving of being paid a large sum of money, too. However, Pittsburgh was unwilling to meet his asking price, which led to this trade.
Porter will join a Cowboys defense that has been continually revamped with new faces over the past year or so, which figures to make them an even more dangerous team in the NFC East division. McLaurin, who has already faced off against Porter during his time with the Steelers, knows just how good of a corner he is, and he made it clear that he feels Dallas has a budding star on its hands.
I think Joey Porter Jr. is a great corner. I don’t think he’s had enough time to really show the upward trend that he’s really on,” McLaurin said on “The Schultz Report.” “He’s going to play press, he’s going to be physical, he’s going to talk a little smack … I think he’s only scratching the surface of the type of player he can be.”
Cowboys Hoping Joey Porter Jr. Can Immediately Suit Up in Week 4
Pretty much anything would have been an upgrade for the Cowboys at the cornerback position, so adding a stud like Porter is a big win for this team. McLaurin is one of the better wide receivers in the league, so for him to be so effusive in his praise of Porter shows just how talented a player he is.
Again, Porter has been dealing with a back injury to begin the year, and while he was initially ruled out for the Steelers’ Thursday Night Football contest against the Cleveland Browns, he’s actually on track to play for Dallas in Week 4. A final decision on Porter’s status likely won’t be made until right before kickoff, but it’s looking more likely than not that he will play against the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.
Cowboys Joey Porter Jr. Trade Draws Strong Message From Commanders’ Terry McLaurin