Joey Porter Jr.’s time in Pittsburgh is over before it ever really got going in 2026.
According to The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero, the Steelers are finalizing a deal to send the 26-year-old cornerback to Dallas after he did not appear in a single game for Pittsburgh this season. Porter was listed as out on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s matchup with the Browns, carrying the designation of “NIR (not injury related)/conditioning/back.” He had missed training camp because of a back injury and was still working his way back into game shape.
Now the Cowboys will be the team trying to get him on the field.
The trade package is a straightforward one. Pittsburgh will receive a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick, according to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones, while Dallas gets Porter in return.
Jordan Schultz reported that the Steelers had “no choice” but to move him, and added that the Lions and Giants had also shown interest in making a deal.
The contract situation is not being settled as part of the trade. Schultz said the Cowboys will “not be immediately extending” Porter, and that the plan is to let him play and allow the contract situation “take care of itself from there.”
Porter is in the final year of his rookie contract and is earning just under $4 million. He had pushed for an extension with the Steelers over the offseason, but the sides never got a deal done. Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan had already made clear that those talks would not continue once the season began.
In 2025, Porter played 14 games and finished with 52 tackles, including 35 solo stops and 17 assists. He also broke up 14 passes and grabbed one interception.
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