Joey Porter Trade Fallout: Steelers, Cowboys, Gonzalez

His son, Joey Porter Jr., had a similar start to his career. The 2023 second-round pick flashed in his first two years before making a Year 3 leap as one of the league’s ascending young cornerbacks. In 2025, he allowed 5.0 yards per target and a 48.5% completion rate, both top-10 marks among qualified corners. His 14 passes defended also ranked 13th, but he had yet to earn any end-of-season recognition.

The Steelers, perhaps anticipating a difficult negotiation amid a skyrocketing cornerback market, did not engage Porter in talks at the beginning of the offseason. That decision may well have put them on the path to losing the 26-year-old. In March, the Rams gave Trent McDuffie an extension worth $31MM per year, a raise of just $1MM over the previous top of the market. Had Pittsburgh approached Porter then, his demands may have been in a range the team found reasonable. The team later offered a $27MM AAV; in the spring, that would have made him the fourth-highest-paid corner in the league.

But the Steelers instead waited to open talks with Porter until late August, by which time the Seahawks had already given Devon Witherspoon a $33MM AAV on his new contract. In the new market, Porter sought to eclipse $30MM per year, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, though he was not aiming to join Witherspoon or Patriots Pro Bowler Christian Gonzalez at the very top. Pittsburgh’s organizational approach to contracts was also an obstacle, both in terms of their guarantee structure and their unwillingness to finalize extensions during the season. A negotiating period of roughly two weeks did not offer enough time for the two sides to agree to a deal.

Porter spent all of training camp on the physically unable to perform list due to a back issue, so he understandably needed a ramp-up period at the start of the regular season. But his status fluctuated by the week with “non-injury-related/conditioning” listed alongside his back injury in Week 2. He said he would play as soon as he was healthy but insisted that his conditioning and back remained legitimate issues.

The Steelers upgraded Porter to full practice participation on Monday and Tuesday this week, seemingly putting him on a trajectory to make his 2026 debut on Thursday night against the Browns. But on Wednesday, Porter took himself off the practice field claiming his back was flaring up.

“At that point, the trust between the team and Porter, already strained, was severed,” Breer adds. “So the Steelers aggressively shopped him, aiming to get him off the roster before kickoff.”

The Cowboys were already keeping tabs on potentially-available cornerbacks. They inquired about Porter early in training camp and also reached out to the Patriots regarding Gonzalez. The Steelers, still hoping to keep their star cornerback long-term, set a high asking price that prevented talks from ever getting off the ground. Later in the summer, though, Pittsburgh agreed to send offensive tackle Broderick Jones to Dallas, keeping communication lines open well into August.

That may have contributed to the two sides’ speedy agreement to Wednesday night’s blockbuster. Steelers general manager Omar Khan contacted Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay after practice, and the trade was done before midnight. Given that speed was a factor, it is unclear if any other teams were in the running for Porter. The Giants were “never involved,” according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

Two key factors of Dallas’ approach helped facilitate the deal. First, the Cowboys were willing to acquire Porter without signing an extension. Those talks are now expected to wait until the 2027 offseason. The availability of a franchise tag projected to be worth just over $23MM will play a major role, as will Porter’s performance for America’s Team this season. Second, the Cowboys are among the NFL teams that devalue future draft picks by a full round. As a result, they viewed the 2028 pick they sent to the Steelers as a third-round value, while Pittsburgh was satisfied coming away with a second-rounder in any year.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that the acquisition “checks a big box” for the team and will benefit their existing cornerbacks.

Starter DaRon Bland could be moved to the field side “where he can make plays on the ball, which is what he does best,” Jones explained (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). Porter could then be used as a matchup weapon against opposing team’s top wide receivers.

Jones also said that 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel can “continue to develop and learn from one of the best,” noting that he and Porter “have the same body type” and are “the same type of players.”

Porter indicated that he could see himself signing an extension with the Cowboys and spending the rest of his career in Dallas.

“I’m down with it if they are,” Porter said in his first media availability with his new team (via WFAA’s Ed Werder). “I want to finish my career here. Hopefully I just perform like I know how to perform, and I’m going to let everything take care of the rest.”

Porter expressed optimism that he could make his Cowboys debut on Sunday against the Texans. He said on Thursday (via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) that he was “feeling good” and “trying to take things day-by-day.” A sudden recovery from his back and conditioning issues will further the perception that Porter’s absences to start the year in Pittsburgh were contract-related.

The saga is seemingly over, at least between Porter and the Steelers. It could take on a new life in the spring when extension negotiations with the Cowboys begin, especially if Dallas plays hardball with a franchise tag as they did with George Pickens last offseason.