The Dallas Cowboys just went through a relatively quiet NFL summer in which there was no obvious drama unfolding, no hold outs or hold ins, no pending free agents set to make record amounts of money. There were potential storylines, starting with star receiver George Pickens and kicker Brandon Aubrey, but Dallas shut down both of those narratives by giving Pickens the franchise tag and signing Aubrey to a new deal in April. The off-field peace and quiet gave us a slew of middle-aged beat writers at The Star adopting young people’s lingo and telling us repeatedly that these 2026 Cowboys “move different.”
Then the opener against the Giants came on Sunday night, a 28-20 loss in New York in which it looked like these Cowboys moved much the same as the ones who took the field for last year’s seven-win team.
But look, there is still time to change, and the Cowboys could find themselves in position to inject a little drama into the current group by taking on a disgruntled player from the team that has been Dallas’ go-to for disgruntled former high draft picks: The Steelers, who are at loggerheads on a contract with star cornerback Joey Porter and are reportedly open to trading him.
Cowboys a ‘Joey Porter Jr. Trade Fit’
In fact, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler has gone so far as to draw up a list of teams to which Porter could be traded, and the Cowboys are atop that group.
Writing underneath the headline, “Joey Porter Jr. trade fits: Which NFL teams could target CB?” Fowler included the Cowboys, Lions, Saints, Jets and 49ers. He did raise one roadblock to a Porter trade to Dallas: The Cowboys have seven picks in 2027, but four of them are in the sixth and seventh rounds. They’re not exactly flush with draft capital and, Fowler reported, “Porter would likely cost at least a second-round pick, possibly a first.”
Joey Porter Jr. Not Mentioned in Recent Talks
Fowler wrote of a potential Cowboys-Steelers deal for Porter: “Dallas has been looking for cornerback help, though more so in the bargain bin to this point. The franchise has trade-market rapport with Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan. The sides have reached deals in back-to-back offseasons, as Dallas traded for wide receiver George Pickens in May 2025 and offensive tackle Broderick Jones on Aug. 29.
“Dallas did not discuss Porter with Pittsburgh at the time of the Jones trade. But that would be an easy call for the Cowboys to make if interested.”
Cowboys Eyeing Bargain Options
The Cowboys probably should seek some defensive help after what we saw in Week 1, and while the group struggled to get pressure up front, the continued mistakes in coverage were frustrating, too. The Cowboys allowed second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart to go 23-for-29 passing with 230 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cowboys have previously shown an interest in veteran–ie, bargain bin, as Fowler put it–corner Adoree Jackson. Porter would be expensive (Spotrac sets his market value at $23.4 million per year, or a three-year, $70 million deal). That might be prohibitive. Either way, it’s clear that the team needs more help at corner, and Porter would be a big addition.
Cowboys ‘Could Target’ Projected $70 Million Star Amid Contract News: ESPN