Sometimes Jerry Jones talks big — other times he backs it up with real moves.
On Wednesday night the Cowboys showed they meant business, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., a deal confirmed to Yahoo Sports. The move followed Jones’ Sept. 20 quip that “there’s nothing more dangerous than an old man with money,” and comes as Dallas tries to shore up a thin secondary.
Christian Parker, the Cowboys’ first-year defensive coordinator, was partly hired because of how he boosted the Eagles’ secondary in 2024–25 — working with pieces such as 2024 first-round corner Quinyon Mitchell and 2024 second-round safety Cooper DeJean. Dallas already showed secondary intent by trading up to draft safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 this spring, but switching to a 3-4 base defense for the first time in 13 years meant more personnel changes were needed.
Porter, a 2024 second-round pick by Pittsburgh, has started 41 games, broken up 31 passes, intercepted three and posted 165 tackles with three tackles for loss in his Steelers career. He didn’t play the first three weeks of this season amid a contractual dispute and was listed with a back issue; the Steelers had ruled him out for their Thursday game against the Browns before the trade moved forward.
The Cowboys’ urgency was obvious after their late collapse in Rio against the Ravens — which included a 27-yard throw in the final seven seconds — and a secondary further depleted by injuries. Dallas sits at 1-2 but boasts a high-powered offense, and adding Porter is a move aimed at preserving a 2026 contention window as owner Jones approaches his 84th birthday on Oct. 13. The deal continues Dallas’ recent in-season activity after last year’s deadline acquisition of DT Quinnen Williams and follows a recent string of transactions with Pittsburgh that brought in George Pickens and left tackle Broderick Jones.
Jerry Jones told Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan he and the organization were “right on top of it,” stressing ongoing communication among ownership, management and scouts — a process that clearly culminated in this trade. For Jones, the timing felt like an early birthday present; for the Cowboys, it’s another bet to keep their Super Bowl window open.
Fan Take: This trade matters because it shows contender teams are willing to spend future draft capital midseason to address immediate weaknesses, raising the stakes of the in-season market. If Porter helps stabilize Dallas’ defense, it could shift the NFC East race and encourage other teams to be more aggressive about deadline moves.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
