Former Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. has already missed two games for the Cowboys since being traded to them, and he has plenty of excuses. None of them are his contract. At least that’s what he tells reporters as he laments the likelihood of missing another game for the 4-5 Cowboys. After missing a game due to illness, he now suffers from a litany of ailments.
When asked if it was the ankle, the heel or something else that was giving him trouble, Porter told reporters: “All of the above. The whole foot is up. I played on it for a while and then it just got worse, to the point where I had to stop it.”
Joey Porter faked a back injury for months with the Steelers, eventually forcing their hand to trade him after claiming he suddenly had a flare-up the day before their Week 4 game against the Browns on a Thursday. Many in the building then thought he was finally going to suit up and honor his contract, rather than continuing the bluff that they couldn’t call him on in the middle of a contract dispute without invoking the wrath of the NFLPA.
The recurring pushes to return finally sent the Steelers front office the message loud and clear that Porter would absolutely never play another game for the organization without a new contract. So they accepted the best offer on the table for him, sending him to the Cowboys for second and sixth round picks, the first in 2028.
Despite his reported push for the Steelers on Wednesday, Porter played for the Cowboys that Sunday. But he missed the next game due to an apparently serious illness. Last week, he sat with his foot raised, saying he had been playing since he was injured in the first game more than a month ago.
Porter said he has since been playing at about 70 percent capacity. “My 70 percent looks good,” he added, but noted that playing on it made it even worse. “I play a position where I have to guard the most athletic people on the field. So if I can’t run, jump or jump, then I’m no use there.”
Joey Porter is the latest former Steelers draft pick the Cowboys have traded for since last year, joining WR George Pickens and OT Broderick Jones. While Pickens earned All-Pro honors last year, Dallas still refused to sign him to a long-term extension. He is playing this season under the franchise tag, but his numbers have declined.
The Cowboys will be in an interesting position with Porter and Pickens, two players once considered potential foundations of the Steelers’ future. Signing each of them has proven problematic, and it’s unclear whether they’ll get a long-term deal with either. They may have to choose between marking each other and letting the other walk. In this case, they would bank on a compensatory draft pick, provided they don’t make a mistake along the way.
Gn sports
