Last year, once the Cowboys realized that linebacker Micah Parsons wasn’t going to play without a new contract, Dallas traded him.
This year, the Steelers apparently have realized that cornerback Joey Porter Jr. wouldn’t be playing without a new contract. And so they’re trading him.
Per multiple reports, the Steelers are sending Porter to the Cowboys.
The full terms have yet to emerge. The separate question will be whether the Cowboys will give Porter the contract he couldn’t get in Pittsburgh.
Dallas could decide to ride it out in 2026, with Porter making $3.924 million. Then, they could apply the franchise tag in 2027.
It’s hard to imagine the Cowboys tradining for a player who apparently doesn’t intend to play until he gets a new deal.
The common link between Porter, a second-round pick in 2023, and Parsons is that both are represented by David Mulugheta of Athletes First. Mulugheta also represents receiver George Pickens, who was traded by the Steelers to the Cowboys in May 2025.
The Cowboys haven’t given Pickens a new deal. For 2026, they tagged him. For receivers, the franchise tender is well below market value. It is for cornerbacks, too.
Much will be revealed in the coming hours. For now, the most important point is that the impasse between the Steelers and Porter has ended with Porter being sent to a new team.