Steelers trade CB Joey Porter Jr. to Cowboys after failed contract negotiations

The Pittsburgh Steelers are finalizing a deal to trade cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys, per The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero.

After being selected with a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Porter is playing in the final year of his rookie deal. The trade comes after Porter and the Steelers were unable to reach a contract extension.

Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan had reiterated on August 31 that the team does not deal with extensions during the season, and no deal was completed when the Steelers took on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.

Porter did not play in the Steelers’ season-opening win. He was on the injury report with a back injury, but many believed his contract situation played a role in his missing the game.

The cornerback likely wanted to be paid like a top player at his position, but after Christian Gonzalez (4-year, $135 million) and Devon Witherspoon (4-year, $132 million) signed mega deals this offseason, Pittsburgh opted not to pursue a record-setting deal and made a trade.

Porter was drafted with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which was technically the first pick of the second round. The Miami Dolphins had their pick forfeited after the league found them guilty of tampering.

As a rookie, Porter played in all 17 games, starting 11. The corner had 43 total tackles, 1 interception, and 10 passes defended.

Over his three-year career, Porter has tallied 165 combined tackles, 3 interceptions, and 31 passes defended. Last year, the corner played in 14 games and finished with 52 total tackles, one sack, one interception, and 14 passes defended.

The cornerback is the son of former NFL player Joey Porter. He was a linebacker in the NFL from 1999 to 2011, splitting time between the Steelers, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. Over the course of his career, he tallied 689 total tackles with 12 interceptions in 188 games.

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