REPORTS-Joey Porter, Junior traded to Dallas

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Weeks ago Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy announced the team was at an impasse in talks with corner Joey Porter, Junior. Since then they’ve played a back-and-forth with back injury and conditioning excuses given as why he didn’t play. Finally Thursday night, according to multiple reports Thursday night, including Jordan Schultz, Porter, Junior was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a second-round pick and a conditional sixth rounder.

Porter, Junior was coming off his best season with a career-high 14 passes defensed in just 14 games with his first career sack and an interception in 2025, cutting down on penalties and appearing to finally be that highly drafted corner they could build around. But for how much?

“I feel like I was an elite guy since I’ve been in this league and I’m happy I’m getting the respect I feel like I’m owed,” Porter, Junior said in his first public comments about the situation on June 2.

While Porter, Junior would never say the dollar figure he was looking for, the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported the team offered $27 million a season, which would make him the seventh highest-paid corner in the game. The issue was the amount of guaranteed money, which was reportedly too low for Porter, Junior’s liking.

While Porter, Junior thought of himself as a Top 5, or elite corner, obviously the Steelers did not. Pro Football Focus would agree with the Steelers, ranking Porter, Junior as just the 18^th best corner in the league heading into 2026.

How it went down

Seeking a new contract heading into to the last year of his rookie contract, Porter, Junior did not participate, although showed up, for the team’s OTA sessions. Porter, Junior did take part in mandatory mini-camp. On the first day of training camp in late July, we were told he tweaked his back during conditioning drills.

Porter, Junior would not take part in anything in the preseason having been put on the Physically Unable to Perform List. When camp broke, Porter, Junior was activated off the PUP list, but said he needed to talk to people to see if he would play when healthy.

The 26-year-old from North Allegheny High School and son of Steelers Hall of Honor member would spent the first three weeks of the season inactive, the Steelers clarifying the first three weeks he didn’t play because he was conditioning to ramp up to be able to play.

This week Porter, Junior was cleared as a full participant for the first time, although a full participant in a walk-through and jog-through practices. On Wednesday afternoon the Steelers listed on the practice report that Porter, Junior would miss the game in Cleveland with a return of the back injury.

No more questionable practice reports, Porter, Junior is gone.

Now the second-round pick from 2023 joins the first-round pick from 2023 (Broderick Jones) with the Cowboys in what has turned out to be a bizarre draft class

• 1^st round (14^th overall, Steelers traded up to get him) OT Broderick Jones-injured & when healthy traded to Dallas
• 2^nd round (32^nd overall)-acquired from Chicago for Chase Claypool) CB Joey Porter, Junior-contract dispute & reported injury, traded to Dallas
• 2^nd round (49^th overall)-DL Keaanu Benton-signed to contract extension in 2026
• 3^rd round (93^rd overall)-TE Darnell Washington-signed to contract extension in 2026
• 4^th round (132 overall)-OLB Nick Herbig-signed to contract extension in 2026
• 7^th round (241 overall)-CB Cory Trice-released after injuries
• 7^th round (251 overall)-OL Spencer Anderson-starting right guard at beginning of 2026 season.

Steelers play in Cleveland Thursday and going forward with Asante Samuel, Junior and rookie Daylen Everette battling to take Porter, Junior’s place.