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Steelers cornerbacks: 3-man rotation faces big Porter void

Dustin Judge
Steelers cornerbacks and the Pittsburgh defense line up against the Indianapolis Colts in November 2019

The Steelers cornerbacks will have to hold up without Joey Porter Jr. Pittsburgh traded him to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, a deal Dallas announced Thursday, Oct. 1, according to ESPN. The move ends a monthslong standoff over a contract extension, and Porter never played a snap for Pittsburgh this season.

NFL Network’s Jane Slater and The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero first reported the deal, per NFL.com. Porter, 26, was a 2023 second-round pick entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Cowboys’ side of the trade is covered in our full Joey Porter Jr. trade breakdown.

Who are the Steelers cornerbacks now?

Pittsburgh will keep rotating Asante Samuel Jr., Jamel Dean and rookie Daylen Everette at outside cornerback, ESPN reported. Everette, a 2026 third-round pick, played extended snaps in the Week 3 win over Cincinnati, first filling in for a briefly injured Dean and then replacing Samuel for much of the second half.

CBS Sports also listed Jalen Ramsey and Brandin Echols among the players Pittsburgh will use to fill the void. The Steelers cornerbacks handled the first three games without Porter, and the team is 2-1, according to ESPN.

The first test for the Steelers cornerbacks comes quickly. Pittsburgh plays at Cleveland on Thursday night, Oct. 1, at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video, a game Porter had already been ruled out of before the trade. Our Steelers vs. Browns preview has more on that matchup.

Why the Steelers moved on

The sides never made meaningful progress on the guaranteed money in an extension, despite talks as late as hours before the Week 1 game against Atlanta, sources told ESPN. The Steelers then stopped negotiating, because they don’t discuss extensions during the regular season. General manager Omar Khan had restated that policy Aug. 31, according to Yahoo Sports.

Porter turned down an offer worth slightly more than $27 million, CBS Sports reported. The cornerback market rose this offseason after Christian Gonzalez signed a four-year, $135 million deal and Devon Witherspoon signed a four-year, $132 million deal, per Yahoo Sports.

Porter also dealt with a back injury. He aggravated it during a mobility workout on the first day of camp and spent camp and the preseason on the physically unable to perform list before being activated on roster cutdown day, ESPN reported. He was a limited practice participant through September while coach Mike McCarthy described a “ramp-up” phase, and he was inactive for all three games. The Steelers added a back injury to his “not injury related-conditioning” designation on Wednesday’s report.

What the Steelers get back

For a player who wasn’t playing, Pittsburgh landed a 2028 second-round pick. The 2027 sixth-rounder comes with a condition: Porter has to be on Dallas’ game-day roster for two games this season, a source told ESPN.

It’s the third trade between the clubs in about two years. Dallas sent Pittsburgh a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder for wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick in May 2025, and in August the Cowboys acquired tackle Broderick Jones and a 2027 fourth-rounder for third- and sixth-round picks in 2027, per ESPN.

Porter’s career with the Steelers

Pittsburgh drafted Porter out of Penn State with the 32nd overall pick in 2023, the first pick of the second round after the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-rounder for tampering, according to Yahoo Sports. He is the son of former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter.

Porter started 41 games over three seasons with 165 tackles, three interceptions and 31 passes defended, per NFL.com. In 2025, he played 14 games and posted 52 tackles, a sack, an interception and 14 passes defended, according to Yahoo Sports. He often drew opponents’ top receivers, including Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Zay Flowers and Jerry Jeudy, CBS Sports noted, a job the remaining Steelers cornerbacks now have to share.

What’s next for the Steelers cornerbacks

After the Browns game, the Steelers cornerbacks get the Indianapolis Colts at home on Oct. 11. Dallas (1-2) plays at Houston on Sunday, and a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter there is a “chance” Porter debuts there, as covered in our Porter debut report.

Reporting from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports and NFL.com contributed to this story.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.