“Grass Isn’t Always Greener”: Joey Porter Jr. Receives a Reality Check From NFL Legend After Cowboys Trade

The last time Joey Porter Jr. suited up in the NFL was during the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ Wildcard Round loss to the Houston Texans earlier this year. Now, Porter is expected to start his 2026 season against the Texans after missing the first three weeks due to a back injury. However, if he plays, he won’t be suiting up for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have traded Porter to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick this week. That, however, doesn’t seem to sit well with former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel, who recently shared his thoughts on the latest trade.

“IDK… Joey Porter Jr. should’ve thugged it out in Pittsburgh. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Let’s see how this plays out,” wrote Samuel on X.

The Steelers have an organizational policy of not negotiating new contracts once the regular season begins. Porter, meanwhile, entered 2026 in the final year of his rookie contract. Pittsburgh certainly wanted to retain him.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers made Porter a multi-year offer averaging slightly more than $27 million per year. Porter’s camp, however, rejected it. Subsequently, Gerry Dulac reported that after both sides failed to agree on terms, the Steelers “told Porter they would no longer discuss a new contract with him.”

The negotiations stalled during the offseason when the cornerback market thrived. The Seattle Seahawks signed Devon Witherspoon on a four-year, $132 million contract extension before the New England Patriots once again reset the CB market and signed Christian Gonzales on a four-year, $135 million deal. The Steelers certainly failed to give what Joey Porter was looking for.

Now, the 26-year-old is expected to start for the Cowboys. After the trade terms were finalized, the fourth-year CB took to his Instagram handle and shared a post of his arrival in Dallas.

“Here I come……Dallas,” wrote Porter in his Instagram story.

The development around Porter’s trade gained momentum amid the Cowboys’ needs in the secondary. For broader context, cornerback Cobie Durant will miss at least one more week due to his hamstring injury, while CB Shavon Revel Jr. is dealing with knee and ankle injuries.

At the same time, safety Jalen Thompson has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury and is on IR, while P.J. Locke is also on IR because of a plantar fascia injury, per ESPN. Porter is now expected to bolster a unit that has failed to record an interception in the first three weeks of the season.

“I’d just say we’re right on top of it,” Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones had said earlier about a potential trade for defense. “We’re very aware of the moving parts out here, we should be. And communication is a big part of that. It’s a big part of that. Communication at all levels, at my level, at Stephen’s level, and the scout’s level. We all have contacts, and this is a time when you really can have discussions that could be productive. The answer to your question is yes, there’s conversations going on.”

A former second-round pick, Jory Porter Jr. has played three seasons for the Steelers, where he appeared in 47 career games and started in 41. Across three years, the 26-year-old recorded 165 tackles, 31 pass breakups, and three interceptions, including one against the Cowboys themselves, when he intercepted Dak Prescott in the 2024 season. Now, he’ll play for the same team.

Which certainly makes you wonder: Considering Porter is entering the final year of his deal and joining the Cowboys after stalled contract negotiations with the Steelers, will Jerry Jones sign him to a contract extension? NFL reporter Dan Graziano was a bit skeptical about such a scenario.

“According to my sources, the Cowboys did not make this trade contingent upon a contract extension for Porter, and they do not plan to extend him during this season,” Graziano wrote. “So he goes into the same bucket as George Pickens, DeMarvion Overshown and anyone else on the Cowboys’ roster who is eligible for free agency at the end of this season.”

The Cowboys traded for wide receiver George Pickens last year, who was also entering the final year of his deal. However, the Cowboys chose to franchise tag the receiver rather than signing him to a contract extension. Whether they will sign Joey Porter remains to be seen.

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