The Pittsburgh Steelers finally ended their months-long standoff with Joey Porter Jr. by trading the cornerback to the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 30.
The return was a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick, ending Porter’s time in Pittsburgh after three seasons. But the deal didn’t come out of nowhere.
According to The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov, the Steelers had been quietly willing to move Porter months earlier. The bigger problem was how Pittsburgh handled the situation from there.
Why Did Steelers Trade Joey Porter Jr. to Cowboys?
Meirov reported that Pittsburgh never seriously pursued an extension with Porter during the offseason before making a late push just before the regular season.
“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. 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.”
The Steelers have long maintained a policy of not negotiating contracts once the regular season begins. Porter entered 2026 in the final year of his rookie contract, which made the timing of those failed talks especially important.
Porter later said the contract situation was “old news” and denied requesting a trade, while maintaining that the back injury that kept him out of Pittsburgh’s first three games was legitimate.
Still, his future with the organization remained unresolved.
Pittsburgh’s asking price also changed considerably from where it started.
Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. Asking Price Dropped
In a second post, Meirov reported that the Steelers were open to trading Porter during the offseason but were looking for a much bigger return.
“The #Steelers were quietly open to trading Joey Porter Jr. during the offseason but wanted a 2027 1st-round pick. No team was willing to offer that. As the months passed, Pittsburgh’s stance shifted to not trading him, but the two sides also failed to reach an extension. In the end, with Porter missing the first 3 games, the Steelers agreed to move him for a 2028 2nd-round pick and a 2027 6th from the #Cowboys.”
That makes the timeline notable.
Pittsburgh went from seeking a 2027 first-round pick for Porter to eventually accepting a second-rounder that won’t arrive until 2028, plus a sixth-round pick in 2027.
Porter, the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, started 45 games over three seasons for the Steelers. He recorded 165 tackles, 31 passes defensed and three interceptions during that span.
The Steelers had options earlier in the process, according to Meirov. They could have found common ground on an extension or moved Porter when their asking price was at its highest.
Neither happened.
Instead, the contract talks stalled, Porter’s season never got started in Pittsburgh and the Steelers eventually took a deal well below the first-round price they had reportedly wanted months earlier.
That is how a situation involving one of Pittsburgh’s most recognizable young players went from an offseason contract question to another major Steelers-Cowboys trade.
Why Did Steelers Trade Joey Porter Jr.? Pittsburgh’s Costly Missteps Led to Cowboys Deal