The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading standout cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys, sources told The Ringer's Tom Pelissero.
Dallas is sending a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for Porter, a source told Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein.
Porter was inactive in each of the Steelers' first three games and had already been ruled out for Pittsburgh's contest against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday due to a back injury and conditioning. The 26-year-old's contract situation has also impacted his availability; Porter said he wasn't sure about playing without a new deal earlier this season.
The Steelers and Porter haven't been able to successfully negotiate a new contract in 2026. The standout defensive back is in the last year of his rookie deal. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said that Porter and the team were at an impasse before the start of the regular season.
The Cowboys don't plan to extend Porter's contract immediately, sources told NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The Steelers did reward other members of their 2023 draft class with extensions, including Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, and Keeanu Benton. Porter is Pittsburgh's second 2023 draftee to be traded to Dallas after former first-round pick Broderick Jones, who was involved in an August deal.
The Cowboys and Steelers have now completed three trades in the last two years. Dallas also acquired receiver George Pickens from Pittsburgh for a pair of draft picks in 2025.
The Cowboys' depth at cornerback took a hit after the team's loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Shavon Revel appeared to sustain a right knee and ankle injury while attempting a tackle, and Cobie Durant remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. The team also rosters DaRon Bland and first-round rookie defensive back Caleb Downs, who also plays nickel.
The Porter trade marks yet another move by a Cowboys team desperately looking to fix its defensive unit. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has made several moves for defenders since 2025. Dallas acquired Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons trade to the Green Bay Packers in 2025 and later struck a deal with the New York Jets for Quinnen Williams. Rashan Gary landed with the NFC East team this year.
So Cowboys have traded for five veteran defensive starters in the last 14 months: Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, Dee Winters, Rashan Gary and now Joey Porter.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) October 1, 2026
The Cowboys hired new coordinator Christian Parker after ranking last in defensive EPA/play in 2025. Dallas ranks 30th in total defense this season and has allowed 27.3 points per game. The club has not logged an interception through their first three matchups.
