Grading Joey Porter Jr. Blockbuster NFL Trade Between Cowboys and Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have established a trade pipeline with the Dallas Cowboys. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will reunite with former Steelers teammates Broderick Jones, whom Dallas acquired about a month ago, and George Pickens.

According to ESPN's Todd Archer and Brooke Pryor, Dallas sent Pittsburgh a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick in exchange for Porter.

Porter has dealt with a back injury, and not so coincidentally, a contract dispute since training camp. 

Early in July, Chris Mack of the Kaboly and Mack podcast said there's a "belief" that Porter wanted an extension averaging around $30 million. That sounds reasonable, given that cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon, who also entered the league in 2023, signed new deals averaging $33.75 million and $33 million, respectively.

Instead of giving Porter an extension, Pittsburgh dealt him, which is a move many saw coming because of how the franchise does business.

So, let's break down the short- and long-term layers of this trade to assess these teams' defensive outlook and Porter's future. Here are the immediate grades.

Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones

Grade: A

The Dallas Cowboys left Rio de Janeiro embarrassed, having allowed a 27-yard completion and a game-winning 56-yard field goal to the Baltimore Ravens in just seven seconds. While you can blame defensive coordinator Christian Parker for a poor play call after the touchback, the Cowboys absolutely need a lead cornerback.

Dallas has allowed seven passing touchdowns in three weeks. Cornerback DaRon Bland is allowing a passer rating of 108.8 in coverage. Cobie Durant didn't suit up last week because of a hamstring injury. 

When Joey Porter Jr. is ready to take the field, he'll be the Cowboys' clear-cut No. 1 cover man on the boundary. Through three seasons in Pittsburgh, he recorded 31 pass breakups, three interceptions and allowed a 57.2 passer rating in coverage. Touted for his man coverage ability out of Penn State, he can shadow lead wide receivers and force quarterbacks to target secondary pass-catchers.

Dallas should be far better in pass coverage going forward, as long as Porter's supposed back injury clears up.

Beyond a significant upgrade at cornerback, the Cowboys didn't even give up a premium 2027 draft pick, which is a major plus with all the buzz around potential first- and second-round prospects.

Lastly, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Dallas isn't expected to sign Porter to a new deal, which was a sticking point in the cornerback's divorce from the Steelers.

The Cowboys get an established and ascending player, keep their top 2027 picks and won't go through the headache of contract negotiations, which contributed to Porter's recent inactivity in Pittsburgh. This is a slam dunk move for Dallas' front office.

Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh Steelers general Manager Omar Khan

Grade: D

As some may know, the Steelers are notoriously stingy with guaranteed money, and they don't negotiate with players during the regular season. 

While Steelers general managers before Omar Khan have abided by these guidelines, The Athletic's Mike DeFabo pointed the finger at him anyway.

"While most of the public criticism has been pointed at Porter, the Steelers should not be absolved of blame. Khan has a history of letting negotiations linger to the last minute. That comes along with two long-standing (and, arguably, outdated) front-office policies: The Steelers rarely give out guaranteed money and they don't negotiate contracts during the season." 

With $11.6 million in cap space and projected to be $9.2 million over the limit in 2027, Pittsburgh has to be conservative with contracts, but this isn't the one.

The Steelers have a veteran-led roster with 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers and several defensive players like T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Jalen Ramsey in their 30s. Khan has a win-now squad that needs young talent to stay competitive long term. 

On the one hand, the Steelers signed defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, outside linebacker Nick Herbig, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., running back Jaylen Warren and tight end Darnell Washington to extensions. They're all up-and-coming talent or in their prime.

Yet, Khan couldn't make room on the books for the team's top cornerback. Barring an unreasonable contract request, the Steelers should've prioritized Porter's deal over the players they extended this offseason.

To make matters worse, the Steelers didn't get a player in return who plays the same position as Porter or a pick that's likely to help them within the next year. Jamel Dean and Asante Samuel Jr. could be a decent cornerback duo, but the former has missed 12 games since 2023 and the latter has allowed two touchdowns and a passer rating of 135.4 so far this season. 

In the short term, this is a major blunder for the Steelers.

Joey Porter Jr.

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Grade: C

Porter may benefit from a change of scenery. The Cowboys have a more potent offense than the Steelers' 26th-ranked scoring unit. So his defensive contributions may stand out more when opponents force the ball downfield while playing from behind. Dallas is also less likely to waste a solid defensive outing with a low-scoring output.

However, Porter may be in the same contract situation he was in Pittsburgh.

As previously noted, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Porter will play out the season on his current deal. 

So, does Porter's back injury clear up quickly as he bets on himself, hoping Dallas rewards him in the next offseason? Did he just want a split from the Steelers, knowing that the Cowboys weren't going to sign him to an immediate extension either?

In a contract year, Porter didn't get what he wanted and still has to prove himself worthy of a lucrative deal that puts him on a similar pay scale as cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez. And there's no guarantee that the Cowboys will extend him. Like George Pickens this year, they could franchise-tag him.

Perhaps Porter's contract negotiations with the Steelers soured their relationship beyond repair, and he preferred to chase a new deal elsewhere. Still, this isn't the best possible outcome for a player who held out for a new deal.

Team salary cap information provided by Over the Cap.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.