Joey Porter Jr. Injury Update, Latest News on Cowboys CB's Status After Steelers Trade

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who arrived in town after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded him on Wednesday, hopes he'll be able to make his debut Sunday at the Houston Texans as he continues to work his way onto the field from a back injury.

"We're just trying to take things day by day, and if everything looks good, then we should be out there," Porter said following his first Cowboys practice on Thursday, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed optimism about Porter's chances, via Archer.

"We'd like him to play, but we'll see how the week goes. I think he's excited about the opportunity to maybe play, but we'll see how the rest of the week goes. But it was a good start today," Schottenheimer said.

Porter, a former Penn State star, was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He played his first three seasons with the Steelers, amassing 165 tackles (120 solo), 31 pass breakups and three interceptions over 47 games (41 starts).

Last year, opposing quarterbacks only completed 32-of-66 passes in his direction en route to a paltry 57.2 QB rating, per Pro Football Reference.

Porter entered this season on the final year of his rookie contract, and he and the Steelers worked toward a contract extension. However, one never materialized, leading to a months-long standoff.

Archer and ESPN's Brooke Pryor provided more information on Porter, who did not participate in any offseason activities leading into the regular season.

"The heart of the dispute was the guaranteed money within the contract's structure, sources told ESPN, and the sides never made meaningful progress on agreeing to terms despite talks as late as hours before kickoff of the Steelers' Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers then stopped talks because they don't negotiate during the regular season as a longstanding organizational principle."

Porter hasn't played in the Steelers' first three games as he deals with the aforementioned back issue plus conditioning concerns. He gave some insight to reporters (h/t Pryor) about the matter on Wednesday.

"It's both," Porter said. "My back has its moments where [there's] a flare-up here and there, and we're still just trying to get my conditioning down to just me being out there as much as possible."

The Steelers soon traded Porter to Dallas for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder. Now he'll joins a pass defense that can use his services. The Cowboys have allowed the sixth-most passing yards per attempt (7.2) in the NFL. They've also given up seven passing touchdowns and no interceptions thus far.

We'll soon find out if Porter makes his debut. Kickoff in Houston is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.