The Dallas Cowboys shook up the NFL this week with a major trade to address the team’s most obvious defensive hole–at cornerback, a spot that was weak on depth even when everyone was healthy. But with Cobie Durant on the injured list with plantar fasciitis and Shavon Revel banged up (though planning to play) with knee and ankle issues, the need for help was especially acute, and Dallas hopes they’ve addressed the problem with a deal to bring in Joey Porter Jr., the disgruntled Steelers second-round pick who could not come to an agreement on a contract extension Pittsburgh.
He agreed to play for the Cowboys without an extension, something he’d not done this year with the Steelers, as he had missed the first three games. But so desperate are the Cowboys for immediate help that, despite his rust and conditioning concerns, the team has sought to get him on the field on Sunday in Week 4 against the Texans.
Joey Porter Jr. ‘Will Make His Season Debut’
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Porter will, in fact, be on the field for the Cowboys. The team had hinted as much, and there were indications that the Cowboys were going to play Porter despite his limited time to get accustomed to their system.
Wrote Schultz on Twitter/X on Saturday evening: “Sources: CB Joey Porter Jr. will make his season debut Sunday for the #Cowboys vs the #Texans. One of the NFL’s best man-to-man corners, JPJ has 31 career pass breakups. Dallas has big plans for him in its secondary.”
Did Cowboys Overpay in Trade?
Getting Porter on the field in Week 4 will give the Cowboys a chance to disprove a theory (or perhaps prove it) that made the rounds on Saturday about whether the move for Porter was, in fact, a good an sensible one. That’s because Jonathan Jones of The Athletic, wrote in his “What I’m Hearing” column that executives around the NFL felt the price for Porter–a 2027 sixth-rounder and a 2028 second-rounder–was an overpay.
Jones wrote: “Many around the league believed Dallas overpaid, based largely on the belief that teams don’t view Porter as a top-tier corner. The Cowboys have a strong recent history of overpaying for talent: a fourth for Trey Lance, a fourth for receiver Jonathan Mingo, a fifth for Joe Milton, a fourth for Rashan Gary.
He cited a rival exec who said that the Cowboys had been “bidding against themselves” though the Detroit Lions conceded they’d been bidding for Porter, too.
Porter could shut down that speculation by simply getting on the field and playing well. We’ll see him at 1 p.m. ET in Houston.
Cowboys’ ‘Big Plan’ Set for Joey Porter in Week 4: Insider