Steelers Sign New CB After Joey Porter Jr. Trade to Cowboys & Loss to Browns, NFL Rumors Reveal

After trading cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys and losing to the Cleveland Browns last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly added some depth to their defensive backfield on Monday.

According to The Ringer's Tom Pelissero, the Steelers are signing veteran CB Sean Murphy-Bunting off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad.

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Murphy-Bunting last played during the 2024 season, appearing in 15 games for the Arizona Cardinals. He was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in May 2025, ruling him out for the entire year. The Cardinals waived him in August, and he signed with the Bucs to return to the franchise with which he spent the first four years of his career.

The Steelers struggled to stop Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson as he led his team down the field to set up a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's game. Pittsburgh fell to 2-2 as Cleveland took sole possession of first place in the AFC North at 3-1.

ESPN's Ian Rapoport reported that the Steelers chose to trade Porter because of their "general philosophy of avoiding second-year guarantees." Porter is in the final year of his rookie deal, and the Cowboys are expected to wait until after the season to address his new contract.

After giving up Porter, the Steelers are hoping that Murphy-Bunting can serve as a reliable replacement as they try to keep pace in the competitive AFC North. Pittsburgh will be back in action in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts (2-2).