PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. ranked second on Bleacher Report’s NFL trade block big board Wednesday, with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders listed as potential suitors. Those two teams meet Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Kristopher Knox projected a trade value of a conditional 2027 second-round pick for Porter. Knox ranked only the San Francisco 49ers’ backup quarterback ahead of Porter on the 10-player board.
Knox wrote that any team trading for Porter would also have to give him “a lucrative new contract.” The largest cornerback deal in the league averages $33.8 million a year, according to Knox, and he wrote that Porter likely wants a deal near the top of that market.
Joey Porter Jr.’s Contract Dispute With The Pittsburgh Steelers
Porter spent the summer in a contract dispute with Pittsburgh. The Steelers placed him on the physically unable to perform list July 28 and activated him Aug. 30.
On the morning of Sept. 13, Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported for ESPN that Porter was unlikely to play in the opener against the Atlanta Falcons because of a back injury, and that a trade remained possible. Pittsburgh listed him inactive. The Steelers beat Atlanta without him.
Pittsburgh has traditionally avoided contract talks once the regular season starts, Knox wrote. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said Porter was “working through the ramp-up stage.”
On Friday, Porter said the contract situation has not affected his desire to be with the Steelers long term. He also said he understands that side of the league. “At the end of the day, it’s business,” Porter said.
Pittsburgh drafted Porter 32nd overall out of Penn State in 2023. The Steelers acquired that pick from the Chicago Bears in a Nov. 1, 2022, trade. His father, Joey Porter, played linebacker for Pittsburgh from 1999 to 2006.
In 2025, Porter started 14 games and had 52 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, and 14 passes defensed. Quarterbacks posted a 57.2 passer rating when targeting him, per Pro Football Reference. Across three seasons, he has 165 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 31 passes defensed in 47 games.
Dallas Cowboys Cornerbacks Entering Week 2
In Sunday night’s 28-20 loss to the New York Giants, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart went 23-of-29 for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns against Dallas. Cornerback Caelen Carson was inactive for the Cowboys.
DaRon Bland signed a four-year, $90 million extension with Dallas in 2025. In 2023, he led the NFL with 9 interceptions and set a league record with 5 interceptions returned for touchdowns.
The Cowboys signed Cobie Durant in free agency in March. Durant had 7 interceptions in four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Steelers play at the New England Patriots at noon CT Sunday on CBS. The Cowboys host the Commanders at 3:25 p.m. CT Sunday on FOX.
