Jerry Jones did say before the season that he was itching to make another big trade.
The Dallas Cowboys owner made a move, with room to possibly make another splash before the trade deadline. Dallas traded a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for their young cornerback Joey Porter, a second-round pick in 2023, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein.
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It wasn’t the all-in move that Jones has teased. But it’s still a big move that should help improve a defense that hasn’t been great to start the 2026 season.
Joey Porter Jr., who was traded to the Cowboys on Wednesday, has not yet played this regular season. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
(Joe Sargent via Getty Images)
Here are the grades for a late Wednesday night trade:
Cowboys get cornerback help
Porter had started to become a distraction for the Steelers. He was seeking a contract extension, it didn’t get done, and then he was sitting out games. A back injury was the official reason he hasn’t played yet this regular season, but it was hard to believe that his absences weren’t contract related.
The move continues to add to a Dallas defense that was horrible last season. The Cowboys made several offseason additions, though there hasn’t been a big turnaround. The Cowboys have given up the third-most yards in the NFL this season. The secondary has given up seven touchdowns with no interceptions. Of 99 qualified corners for Pro Football Focus’ grades this season, no Cowboys cornerback ranks in the top 50. DaRon Bland is 55th, Cobie Durant is 67th and Shavon Revel is 85th. Durant is dealing with a hamstring injury that will likely keep him out of this week’s game against the Houston Texans, and Revel didn’t practice Wednesday with knee and ankle injuries.
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Porter helps right away, assuming he can play soon. It will be costly over time. The picks the Cowboys gave up are valuable, and Porter is going to want a big contract extension. He has a lot of leverage after the Cowboys gave up picks to get him. It’s a fine move that helps a defense that needed a boost in a wide-open NFC East. But it wasn’t cheap.
Grade: B-
Steelers trade young player
Pittsburgh clearly wasn’t as high on Porter as he was on himself, because a contract extension never happened. Dan Graziano of ESPN suggested Porter wanted to be paid $30 million per season. Only six cornerbacks are making that per season.
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Pittsburgh had an issue on its hands because Porter wasn’t playing, and it seems like more than coincidence he hasn’t played yet this season while he’s also upset about his contract.
“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,” Porter said this week.
Porter was a hit for the Steelers in the second round three years ago. He became a very good player, though perhaps not one worth the top of the pay scale at cornerback. His PFF grade last season ranked him 36th among cornerbacks — the best grade of his first three NFL seasons — and he has not been named to a Pro Bowl.
The Steelers used a second-rounder to get Porter and after three seasons they ogot a second-round pick back for him, while adding that conditional sixth. They won’t pay Porter a costly extension. It’s not fun to let go of a good homegrown starter, but it was also going to be hard for the Steelers to find a trade partner that would give up a second-round pick knowing Porter also is seeking a big extension. The Steelers pulled that off, and their Porter drama is over. It’s not an ideal ending but it solves some issues.
Grade: B
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