If you’re wondering why the Dallas Cowboys aren’t exactly leaping at the chance to sign newly acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to a long-term contract after a blockbuster trade late Wednesday night, look to 2 contracts from their not-so-distant past.
One of those contracts — a 4-year, $90 million contract extension for cornerback DaRon Bland signed before the 2025 season — might actually be the NFL’s worst following the trade for Porter Jr.
Since his lone NFL All-Pro season in 2023, Bland has missed 15 games due to injuries and has just 1 interception after racking up 14 interceptions in his 1st 2 seasons.
Bland’s contract structure is an absolute nightmare moving forward. There’s a potential out following this season, but it comes with a brutal, $21.5 million dead cap hit.
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With so many free agents in the 2027 cycle, including Porter Jr. and NFL All-Pro wide receiver George Pickens, that doesn’t seem feasible.
“Bland is the clear-cut winner (for worst contract),” Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote. “The 2022 fifth-round pick has one good season under his belt, but that was enough to earn him a four-year, $90 million deal. He’s missed significant time while being consistently rocked in coverage when on the field the last two seasons, all as the sixth-highest-paid corner in the sport.”
It was the 2nd disastrous cornerback contract the Cowboys handed out in a 2-year stretch following a 5-year, $97.5 million contract extension for Trevon Diggs before the 2023 season.
Through 3 games in 2026, Pro Football Focus has Bland sitting at a 60.0 overall grade — putting him 55th out of 99 eligible players at his position.
Cowboys Make Intentions Clear on Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. forced a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys over his lack of a contract extension — things don’t seem much more promising with the Cowboys.
“Sources: The Cowboys will not be immediately extending Joey Porter Jr. contract,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Wednesday night. “Plan is to have him play and make an impact on a team that has Super Bowl aspirations in the NFC. The contract will take care of itself from there. JPJ gets a fresh, new start.”
Porter Jr., a 2023 2nd-round pick (No. 32 overall), is in the final season of a 4-year, $9.86 million contract. The Cowboys gave up a 2028 2nd-round pick and a conditional 2027 6th-round pick in the trade.
Spotrac projects Porter Jr. will have a market value of a 4-year, $109.6 million contract in free agency.
“Here’s why the Steelers are now trading Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas: Pittsburgh never made a serious effort to extend Porter Jr. during the offseason, then made a last-minute push before the season that went nowhere,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account on Wednesday night. “They hoped to hide behind their policy of not negotiating during the season, but that wasn’t something JPJ was willing to accept. The Steelers ultimately backed themselves into a corner and had no choice but to trade him. In the end, the #Cowboys are the beneficiaries.”
Cowboys Might Have NFL’s Worst Contract Following Joey Porter Jr. Trade