Joey Porter Jr. has ‘chance’ to make Cowboys debut vs. Texans
Joey Porter Jr. has a “chance” to make his Dallas Cowboys debut Sunday against the Houston Texans, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, just days after the cornerback was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Porter has been dealing with a back injury that kept him out of all three of Pittsburgh’s games this season.
The Cowboys acquired Porter on Thursday for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, according to ESPN. The move came after a monthslong contract standoff between Porter and the Steelers that kept him sidelined through training camp, the preseason and the regular season’s opening three weeks.
What the team and sources said
Porter was placed on the physically unable to perform list in camp and sat out until roster cutdown day in late August, according to ESPN. He was ruled out for Pittsburgh’s Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns before the trade, and the Steelers had listed his back issue on the injury report alongside a “not injury related-conditioning” designation for much of the past three weeks.
Despite the layoff, Porter was a full participant in Pittsburgh’s walkthroughs Monday and Tuesday before the deal, per ESPN. The Cowboys plan to work to get him ready to play Sunday, though his debut is not yet confirmed. On3 reported that Dallas will conduct a physical on Porter now that the trade is official. The trade ended a monthslong standoff between Porter and Pittsburgh.
Who he could replace in the secondary
Dallas needed cornerback help entering Week 4. Cobie Durant is expected to miss his second straight game with a hamstring strain, and his replacement, Shavon Revel, was limited in Wednesday’s practice after injuring his knee and ankle in last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, according to ESPN. Revel had already missed the first eight games of his rookie season last year recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, though his current issue is to his left knee.
On3 reported that three defensive backs appeared on Dallas’ injury report ahead of facing Houston, and the team recently placed safety Jalen Thompson on injured reserve. If healthy enough to suit up, Porter would give the Cowboys an experienced option in a secondary that has been hit hard by injuries just three weeks into the season.
Season and career context
Porter started 41 of 47 games across three seasons with the Steelers, recording 165 tackles, 31 passes defended and three interceptions, per ESPN. The Steelers’ 2023 second-round pick out of Penn State finished among the top five in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting that season, according to On3.
He did not play at all in 2026 before the trade. A back injury kept him sidelined along with the contract dispute. The back injury and contract dispute kept him out of every game, meaning Sunday’s matchup with the Texans would mark his first action of the season if he is deemed ready to play.
Dallas enters Week 4 at 1-2 after a last-second loss to Baltimore in which the Ravens converted a 27-yard reception into a game-winning 56-yard field goal, according to PennLive. The Cowboys also rank with the second-worst run defense in the NFL, having allowed 539 rushing yards through three games.
What’s next
The Cowboys host the Texans on Sunday, and Porter’s availability is expected to be determined as the team finalizes his physical and practice participation this week. His next update is likely to come via Dallas’ injury report before kickoff.
Reporting from ESPN, Pennlive and On3 contributed to this story.