The Cowboys are staring at a mess in the secondary, and it may be pushing them toward a bold move before Week 3 even kicks off.
Dallas will be without three key defensive backs, including two starters, when it faces the Baltimore Ravens in the league’s historic NFL Rio Game on Sunday evening. With the depth chart already stretched thin, the team has elevated practice squad cornerback Reddy Steward just to get through the matchup. But that may not be the only move Dallas is considering.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Cowboys have reached out to the Pittsburgh Steelers about cornerback Joey Porter Jr. It’s a familiar business relationship between the two teams, with Dallas having already landed George Pickens and Broderick Jones from Pittsburgh over the past year.
The Steelers are said to be open to dealing Porter, but the asking price is steep. The Detroit Lions have also checked in, which raises the possibility of a bidding war for a player who would immediately upgrade Dallas’ secondary.
That upgrade, though, would come with real pain. Porter would cost two premium draft picks, and he is also seeking a new contract. For a Cowboys team that has already spent draft capital to bring in Quinnen Williams, George Pickens, and Rashan Gary, the cupboard is getting pretty bare.
Dallas currently holds the lower of its two first-round picks in 2027, while the higher one is headed to the New York Jets in the Quinnen Williams deal. The team also has its own second-round pick, plus a fourth-rounder from the Steelers, a sixth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick from the Houston Texans. If Dallas were to send out its 2027 first-rounder, it would be left with only three Day 3 selections to help restock the roster.
The Cowboys could always throw in future 2028 draft capital, and Jerry Jones has already said he would consider mortgaging the future for the right player. The question is how far he’s willing to go if Porter is the target.
And if Dallas’ defensive backfield struggles against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, the pressure to get something done could rise fast.
In Other News...
Cowboys Fans Already Have A Dak Problem Before Rio Kickoff
The Cowboys are about to make history in Rio de Janeiro, but the buildup to their regular-season game at Maracan Stadium has already turned into a debate over more than just travel and logistics. Players have noted that the field was very soft, which is enough to make anyone around the team pay closer attention to how the surface will hold up once Dallas and Baltimore actually take the field.
Even before kickoff, though, Cowboys fans found another reason to grumble. Social media lit up after caricatures of Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson were displayed at the stadium, and plenty of viewers thought Prescotts version did him no favors. It is a small detail in a big international showcase, but for a fan base that already watches every Dak storyline closely, it was the kind of pregame image that got people talking fast. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Brazil Game Suddenly Comes With A Serious Field Concern
The Cowboys trip to Brazil for their upcoming game has picked up an unexpected wrinkle, and it has nothing to do with the opponent. NFLPA executive director JC Tretter raised concerns about the field quality at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, pointing to problems with traction and stability after recent heavy rainfall and a long soccer season have taken their toll on the surface.
Maracana is not an NFL facility, and the leagues previous games in Brazil were played at a different venue with a smaller capacity, which only sharpens the scrutiny on how this one will hold up. Experts have already recommended reinforced stitching and other measures to improve the field, but the real question now is whether those fixes will be enough before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Defense Faces Its Biggest Early Test Against Lamar Jackson
The Cowboys pass rush has been active enough to create disruption in the first two games of the 2026 season, but the finishing touch has not been there. Dallas has produced 31 pressures and 10 hits, yet only two sacks, and the early result has been a defense that has had trouble turning heat into clean stops. That has mattered even more because opposing quarterbacks have found space to run, with Dallas allowing 135 rushing yards to the position over those two games.
Now comes Baltimore and Lamar Jackson, the kind of matchup that can expose even small cracks in a front sevens discipline. Jacksons mobility and scrambling ability make him a difficult target for any defense, but especially one that has already shown some frustration getting quarterbacks to the ground. For Dallas, this looks like the first real stress test of how well its pass rush can hold up when the passer is also a threat to turn a broken play into a big gain. [Read more 🡒]