Joey Porter Jr. is giving the Cowboys a reason to worry again.
The cornerback missed practice on Wednesday, and that alone puts his status in doubt for Sunday’s matchup with the San Francisco 49ers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Porter is listed with an ankle issue, but he didn’t exactly paint a rosy picture when asked about it.
“The whole foot jacked up,” Porter said, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. “I was playing on it for a while and it just kept getting worse to where I had to shut it down.
So I feel like all the guys are wanting me to get back. They know what I could do when I'm out there on the field.
I bring a presence out there that is a game changing type presence. So I'm just trying to get back out there as fast as possible.”
That kind of absence would sting for a Dallas defense that could use the help. The Cowboys are sitting 15th in the league against the pass, giving up 225.2 passing yards per game, and opponents are completing 65.5 percent of their throws. Through nine weeks, only the Minnesota Vikings have been better in that category, allowing a 57.7 percent completion rate.
Porter already sat out the Cowboys’ 27-23 road win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, and his availability has become a talking point for more than just the injury. Because he’s on a contract year, there have been rumors that his deal situation could be tied to his time on the field. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already shot that down.
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers in October, the 26-year-old has played in four games this season and has yet to record an interception. He has eight combined tackles and three passes defended in 2026.
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