Joey Porter Jr. says the news that sent him from Pittsburgh to Dallas came on a quiet night at the movies, and it landed with a smile.
The new Dallas Cowboys cornerback explained the moment on The White House w/ Mike Irvin, saying his Steelers general manager called him late and laid out what was coming next.
“I was at the movies when I got the call. It was late at night, like 11:30.
I was chilling, and my GM, the Steelers GM, called me and he told me exactly the play and what was going to happen following. Man, it was a smile on my face,” Porter Jr. said.
Porter had been pushing for a long-term extension from Pittsburgh, but the standoff ended with a trade instead. Dallas sent Pittsburgh a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to bring in the 26-year-old defensive back.
For Porter, the move closed the book on his entire NFL run with the Steelers, the team that drafted him with the first pick of the second round in the 2023 NFL Draft after his college career at Penn State. Even with the abrupt change, he sounded eager to move forward in Dallas.
“It was a bittersweet moment, but I was just so excited to be a Dallas Cowboy and get on that and head over and talk to all the Joneses and the coaches. So man, it was a blessing.”
Porter played 14 games in the 2025 season and finished with 52 tackles, one sack, one interception, and 14 passes defensed.
Now the Cowboys are banking on him becoming a meaningful part of a defense that needs to get better, while Porter gets a fresh start in a new uniform.
In Other News...
Jerry Jones Gets Pulled Back Into A Familiar NFL Firestorm
Colin Kaepernick is back on the book-tour circuit with fresh reasons to revisit one of the NFLs most polarizing sagas, and Jerry Jones was inevitably part of the conversation. The former quarterbacks memoir, A Perilous Fight, was released Sept. 15, and he used the moment to criticize the Cowboys owner while discussing Joness long-remembered response to Kaepernicks national anthem protests.
For Dallas fans, it is another reminder that Jones can still find himself at the center of league-wide arguments long after the original flashpoint has passed. The Cowboys owner had already made his views known during the protests, and Kaepernicks latest public comments have pulled that old friction back into view, even as the book tour keeps pushing the story into new territory. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Head Into Bucs Game With One Huge Line Question
Tyler Smiths possible return has become one of the biggest pregame storylines for the Cowboys as they prepare to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The All-Pro guard is in line to potentially make his 2026 season debut, but his availability still hinges on how his thumb holds up, a reminder that Dallas is trying to piece together its protection plan while sorting through a longer list of injury concerns heading into a short week.
Jerry Jones underscored how much Smiths hand matters to him being able to play at a high level, and the timing only adds to the pressure with several other Cowboys already listed as questionable or out. Quinnen Williams also pointed to the quick turnaround between games, which leaves Dallas trying to recover, regroup and get answers up front before kickoff in Tampa. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Suddenly Face Another Secondary Concern After Joey Porter Jr. Absence
The Cowboys secondary was already getting adjusted to one new face, and Thursday night brought another setback before kickoff. Joey Porter Jr. was listed as inactive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of illness, a frustrating turn after he had just made his debut on Sunday night and looked positioned for a larger workload in a short span.
Porter arrived at the stadium visibly unwell, and the team sent him home to avoid spreading whatever was going around the room. For Dallas, it was another reminder of how quickly a defensive backfield can get thinned out, especially on a short week when every available body matters and roles can shift fast. [Read more 🡒]