The Cowboys are only one week into the 2026 NFL season, and the concern at cornerback is already staring them in the face.
DaRon Bland was a problem again in Week 1, and not in a small way. He allowed a passer rating of 137.9 after giving up four catches for 38 yards and a touchdown in what was a rough day for Dallas’ secondary.
The bigger issue is that this hasn’t come out of nowhere. It’s been hanging around for a few years, and the Cowboys are still trying to sort it out.
There is at least one answer sitting inside the building. Shavon Revel logged just 20 snaps while mostly rotating with Cobie Durant, and the way Durant played only makes the case stronger for a shake-up.
Durant was clearly the better corner in that game, and his strong offseason has carried over. If Dallas is going to reshuffle the deck, Bland’s snaps are the ones that should be up for grabs.
If that still doesn’t fix things, the next move would be a much bigger swing.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox floated the Cowboys as a possible trade destination for Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., and the fit makes sense on paper. Knox called Porter a potential trade candidate and wrote, "Porter might not be an elite cover corner, but he's been an above-average starter since midway through his rookie season. He'd be a strong fit for most cornerback-needy defenses, with the caveat that acquiring him would also require a lucrative new contract,"
He also listed Dallas among the possible landing spots: "Potential Suitors: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders," Knox added.
The buzz around Porter has picked up because of his contract standoff in Pittsburgh. ESPN’s Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter both reported that a trade could happen early in the season, saying, "Sources said Porter, who had previously requested a trade from the Steelers, is open to playing elsewhere, and an early-season trade is possible," They also noted, "The Steelers have been open to listening to offers for Porter, sources said," and added that Pittsburgh may want a first-round pick in return.
That’s a steep ask, and Dallas would also be taking on the cost of a new deal that could climb to $30 million per year. The draft compensation likely settles somewhere around a second-rounder and more, and the contract would be part of the equation too.
Still, the Cowboys have shown enough urgency that a move like this can’t be ruled out.
The numbers help explain why Porter is being mentioned. In 2025, Bland allowed a completion rate of 62.3% and a passer rating of 103.3. Porter allowed completions on 48.5% of the passes thrown his way and gave up a passer rating of 57.2.
Porter may not be the shutdown corner some label him as, but he would arrive in Dallas as a No. 1 corner and would immediately give the Cowboys’ secondary a much-needed boost.
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