HOUSTON — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pulled Joey Porter Jr. close and, amid a loud pregame scene at Reliant Stadium, made sure his newest acquisition heard what he had to say.
Porter lived up to expectations in both his season and Cowboys debut. Porter played in 24 of the team’s 52 snaps, according to NFL Pro. That included 19 passes from the Houston Texans. Porter was targeted just once and didn’t allow a completion.
Porter also had noticeably good coverage on multiple dropbacks against Texans wide receiver Nico Collins, who flourished elsewhere in his season debut. Collins finished with seven receptions for 118 yards. Porter covered him five times.
It was an immediate return on investment for the Cowboys, who acquired Porter from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a sixth-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft and a second-round pick in 2028. Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker described Porter as a boundary eraser earlier this week. The description, at least on Sunday, was apt.
Porter said playing for the first time since last season was his main takeaway from Sunday’s game.
“That was the main thing I was missing,” Porter said. “To play football. So the fact that I got out there, got the dub with the guys, man, it’s a blessing.”
It was also a quick turnaround. Porter said it was a hectic week. It started in Pittsburgh, where he returned to practice amid his contract negotiation stalemate. He was officially dealing with a back injury during the three-game stretch. Porter practiced in Pittsburgh but decided on Wednesday to not play Thursday night. He was traded to Dallas later Wednesday night.
Porter practiced Thursday with a healthy back. The rest of the week consisted of a lot of meetings with Parker and the defensive staff. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he was impressed with how quickly Porter was prepared to play.
“It took a lot,” Porter said, “but I’m a dog at the end of the day. And I want to be out there with my guys, so I had to prove why they got me here, and I felt like I did that today.”