After being traded Wednesday from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said the back problem that kept him out of training camp, the preseason and the first three regular-season games is “feeling better.”
Porter had been sidelined and was officially ruled out for the Steelers’ Thursday night opener against the Cleveland Browns, but he could suit up for Dallas on Sunday against the Houston Texans after the Cowboys acquired him in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder, ESPN reports.
“It was a good start today,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said after Thursday’s practice, noting Porter “moved around good today” and calling the session a positive first step. Porter also did not appear on Dallas’ injury report for the day.
Many observers had speculated that Porter’s absence in Pittsburgh was driven by contract disputes rather than injury, and his quick ability to practice for his new team will likely deepen that suspicion. Porter himself added fuel to the narrative by saying he felt “disrespected” and “undervalued” in Pittsburgh, but he emphasized the switch to Dallas is a fresh start and that he’s pleased to be a Cowboy.
He even laughed when the condition of his back in Dallas was pointed out. Contract talks remain unresolved: reports say Porter is seeking roughly $30 million per year — a figure that would rank him among the top six-paid cornerbacks, according to Over the Cap — and he indicated he wants to remain in Dallas long term. “I’m down with it if they are,” he said, adding that he wants to finish his career in Dallas.
Porter, a 2023 second-round pick (No. 32 overall) out of Penn State, played 14 games last season for Pittsburgh, recording 52 tackles, 14 passes defended and one interception. Over his three NFL seasons and 47 games, he has totaled three interceptions.
Fan Take: This move matters because it could affect both the Cowboys’ secondary immediately and how teams handle in-season contract standoffs going forward — players who appear to recover quickly after a trade may prompt front offices to rethink injury narratives. If Porter performs well in Dallas, it could accelerate contract negotiations around top young defensive backs and set a precedent for leveraging trades in salary talks.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
