Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. Discusses Throwing Up Before Missing Bucs Game, 'It Was Brutal'

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Joey Porter Jr. described the illness that forced him to miss the team's 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.

"I was throwing up outside my Uber on the way to the game," Porter said Wednesday, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. "It was brutal."

The 26-year-old has appeared in one game for the Cowboys since they acquired him in an Oct. 1 trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Porter is expecting to make his return during Dallas' upcoming matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, per Machota.

He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday.

Porter didn't suit up for the Steelers to start the 2026 season, as he was attempting to land a new contract from Pittsburgh while also dealing with back issues.

In his first appearance with the Cowboys, he played 25 snaps during their 34-30 win over the Houston Texans in Week 4.

▶️ Full Cowboys-Texans Recap

06:02

Following Dallas' eventual defeat at the hands of Tampa Bay with Porter unavailable, head coach Brian Schottenheimer discussed the cornerback's absence.

"Unique thing, came to the stadium and he wasn't feeling very well," Schottenheimer said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "The trainers came to us, said it got significantly worse after they treated him. He just wasn't feeling good. And the decision was made that he wasn't going to be able to play as he was very, very sick."

The Cowboys are hoping that Porter can provide a boost to their struggling secondary, as they've allowed opposing quarterbacks to post a 109.6 passer rating against them (via Pro Football Reference).

Porter served as a key piece of Pittsburgh's defense in 2025, recording 52 tackles across 14 games. He also ranked No. 12 among all players with 14 passes defended.

Porter and the Cowboys are set to face the Packers on Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET.