The Pittsburgh Steelers traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick ahead of their Week 4 game against the Cleveland Browns. He appeared in Dallas’s Week 4 game against the Houston Texans, but he will not play in the Cowboys’ Week 5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Dallas ruled out Porter due to an illness. He has played only one game this season, missing the Steelers’ first three games because of a back injury he suffered on the first day of training camp. He was also seeking a new contract.
The Steelers and Porter Couldn’t Reach a New Deal
It never felt like Porter would play for the Steelers this season, as he spent the entire offseason waiting for a new contract he never received. The Steelers had until the first game of the season to reach an extension with Porter, as the team does not negotiate new contracts during the season. When Porter didn’t get a new deal before the Steelers’ Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons, many fans started calling for a trade. It took about three weeks for that trade to happen.
“We won’t talk publicly about the negotiations, but Joey knows how we feel about him, and I still hope Joey finishes his career here,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said in late August. “Our policy is going to remain in place, but I’m not going to talk about negotiations.”
It was better for the Steelers and Porter to move on, and now Porter seems to have a fresh start in Dallas.
Ex-Steeler Joey Porter Jr. Ruled Out for New Issue Ahead of Cowboys Week 5 TNF Game