FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions are among a handful of teams that have begun making inquiries about the availability of Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Sunday, citing league sources.
Pittsburgh would be willing to listen to trade offers for Porter, according to Schefter, but the Steelers would also want a strong compensation package for the fourth-year cornerback. Porter has been seeking a new contract, and the Steelers do not negotiate deals during the season.
On Sunday afternoon, Dallas plays the Baltimore Ravens at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, with kickoff set for 3:25 p.m. CT on CBS. Starting cornerback Cobie Durant is out with the hamstring he strained in the final sequence of the first half of the Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders.
Over the past 13 months, the Cowboys have acquired Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, and Kenny Clark in trades and used first-round picks on Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. Dallas traded up one spot in April to take Downs at No. 11 overall.
In his first weekly radio appearance of the season on 105.3 The Fan, Jerry Jones said the Cowboys had the financial room to make a trade right away and that the cap space could carry over across three or four years.
“The best way for me to answer that is not timing wise, right on something this morning or this week, but if you look at it generally speaking, we’re in play,” Jones said. “And that’s the best way to describe it.”
Earlier this month, Dallas created a little more than $19 million in cap space by restructuring three contracts, including Clark’s and that of cornerback DaRon Bland.
Through two weeks, Detroit has allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL, according to Schefter. The Lions are without safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, who are both on the PUP list, and cornerback Avonte Maddox, who is out for the season with a foot injury. Detroit (1-1) hosts the New York Jets at noon CT Sunday.
Cobie Durant Injury Leaves Dallas Cowboys Thin At Cornerback
Bland is the starter at one cornerback spot. On the first unofficial depth chart of the regular season, released Sept. 8, Dallas listed Durant or Shavon Revel Jr. opposite him, with Downs listed as the starting nickel corner.
Durant signed a one-year, $4 million contract on March 13 after four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, where he had 141 tackles, 7 interceptions, 26 passes defensed, and 2 defensive touchdowns. Revel was the No. 76 overall pick in 2025 and played 7 games as a rookie while recovering from a torn ACL. Caelen Carson was inactive for the season opener against the New York Giants.
Dallas ruled out Durant, safety Malik Hooker, safety P.J. Locke, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown for the Ravens game. Locke, who tore the plantar fascia in his foot, has since gone on injured reserve.
Entering Week 3, the Cowboys’ pass defense ranked 29th in the NFL, according to the Ravens’ game preview. Last season, Dallas gave up a league-high 4,276 net passing yards and 511 points while finishing 7-9-1.
Joey Porter Jr. Contract Standoff Continues With Pittsburgh Steelers
Porter has not played this season as he continues a prolonged ramp-up from a back injury. He went on the physically unable to perform list July 28, missed all of training camp and the preseason, and came off the list Aug. 30 before sitting out the first two games.
Pittsburgh listed Porter as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium, which kicks off at noon CT, after he was limited in practice all week. The injury report listed the reason as not injury related and conditioning.
After practice Thursday, Porter said he would “definitely” play this season, including without an extension, and that he expected to play limited snaps whenever he makes his debut, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reported.
“It didn’t get done,” Porter said. “It didn’t happen. That’s really just old news for me now. Just mainly just focused on what I’ve got ahead of me, and just really just getting back to 100%.”
Porter stopped short of committing to Sunday’s game and said he has been following a return-to-play protocol set by the coaching staff.
“It’s always a good matchup with the Bengals with what they’ve got over there,” Porter said. “They’re talented, and I always want to sharpen iron on iron. So, definitely getting out there with those guys is always a good matchup.
“I’ve played them six times. Tee and Chase five times each, but they were both hurt one time out of the six. But, yeah, I feel like I have a good indication on those guys and what they like to do. I’ve never really struggled against them, so it’s always been fun for me to get out there with them,” Porter continued.
Porter is playing out the final year of a four-year, $9.6 million rookie contract that pays him $3.924 million in 2026, and he is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2027. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported last Sunday that the Steelers offered Porter a contract that would have paid him more than $27 million this season. Porter did not take it, and the two sides are not currently negotiating, according to Dulac.
Pittsburgh drafted Porter No. 32 overall out of Penn State in 2023 with a pick acquired from the Chicago Bears in the Chase Claypool trade. Over three seasons, he has appeared in 47 games with 41 starts and recorded 164 tackles, 31 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions, according to the Steelers. He played 14 games in 2025 and finished with 52 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 14 passes defensed.
The Steelers (1-1) are coming off a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots. The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10.
