Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans understood the team was at a crossroads with Joey Porter Jr.—and outside of caving to his contract demands, trading him was the only solution left. But if you thought the draft capital the Steelers received in the Porter deal was underwhelming at first, it looks even worse after the Philadelphia Eagles' Cam Jurgens trade.
Less than 24 hours after Eagles' Pro Bowl offensive tackle Lane Johnson posted a shocking retirement announcement on social media, Eagles GM Howie Roseman traded Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens—a team desperate for center help after losing Tyler Linderbaum in free agency and a trio of offensive linemen to early-season injuries.
But the Ravens' desperate move to fix the position didn't come cheap.
In exchange for Jurgens, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta sent a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Eagles, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported. Philly also sent a 2027 seventh-rounder to Baltimore in the deal.
How on earth does an average center/guard get traded for a shutdown man-coverage cornerback? Now Steelers fans have a right to be furious all over again.
Dallas Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers now looks like highway robbery after Cam Jurgens deal
Jurgens was a respectable player for his first four seasons in the NFL, though he was never considered an elite player at either guard or center. In fact, his career path to date hasn't been too dissimilar to Steelers offensive lineman Brock Hoffman—an undersized interior offensive lineman with guard/center versitility who has proven to be a quality starter when called on.
But through four games in 2026, Jurgens has been downright terrible. Playing guard, Jurgens' dismal 38.7 overall grade ranks 73rd among 74 qualifying guards this year, according to Pro Football Focus. His 31.7 pass-block grade has been even worse. Jugens has allowed a sack and 12 pressures in just four starts.
Really? This is the guy who just got traded for almost the exact same package that the Steelers received for Joey Porter Jr.?
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Ravens clearly hit the panic button. While Jurgens may offer some relief in the short term, DeCosta is going to be kicking himself in the 2028 NFL Draft when he's sitting there without a second-round pick and with five gaping holes to fill.
For the Steelers, it shows that the Dallas Cowboys got away with highway robbery. Though Porter and Jurgens play different positions on opposite sides of the football, Porter is unquestionably twice the talent—and a much rarer player to find. There are only a handful of good press-man corners in the NFL, and he's one of them.
Had the Jurgens trade come before Khan sent Porter packing to Dallas, there might have been no way the Steelers would have been comfortable with the same compensation. Now, just like the George Pickens deal a year earlier, the Cowboys proved they can poach one of the Steelers' most talented young assets—and at no more than the cost of an average starting center (which is what Jurgens will play in Baltimore).
There are some benefits to the Ravens in this trade. Besides getting a player at a position they desperately needed, Jurgens comes on an affordable deal, and the Eagles were willing to eat $17 million in deal money to make the trade work. But there's absolutely no question Philly got more than they should have for the mid-level, 27-year-old veteran offensive lineman.
I don't know how to look at the Cam Jurgens deal and not feel sick about how little the Pittsburgh Steelers received from the Dallas Cowboys in the Joey Porter Jr. trade. This stings all over again... and worse than before.
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