When the Dallas Cowboys traded with the Pittsburgh Steelers for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., they didn't miss on the talent they were acquiring. When available, Porter has still proven to be one of the best man-coverage cornerbacks in the NFL.
But that's just it; how often can the Cowboys actually count on him to be in uniform and on the field?
Porter, who already missed one game with an 'illness' early in his Dallas tenure, missed the Cowboys' Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts as he dealt with a heel/ankle injury. The fourth-year cornerback could be seen in street clothes with his hands in his pockets as his teammates participated in warm-ups before he game.
The Cowboys came away with a win over a now 2-7 Colts team, but this was a game that came down to the wire—and Porter wasn't there to help. There's no question that Dallas got a good player, but it's starting to look like they shouldn't have had to give the Steelers as much draft capital as they did.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' trade compensation for Joey Porter Jr. suddenly looks great as he continues to miss time for the Cowboys
When the Steelers ultimately decided to wash their hands of the talented cornerback and trade Porter to the Cowboys, we assumed that he would be there to help Dallas the rest of the way. However, Porter has only suited up for four games this year.
Worse yet, Porter hasn't even expanded his game into a true full-time role yet with his new team.
When on the field from Week 4 to Week 8, Porter has logged just 148 total snaps, per Pro Football Reference, which equates to 37 snaps per game. The average number of defensive plays for an NFL team this season is roughly 62, and most of the time, starting defensive backs never leave the field.
Of these 148 total defensive snaps, 102 have come in coverage (which is clearly the best part of Porter's game). This means that Porter is playing just 25 coverage snaps per game when he's active. If you factor in the two games he missed, Porter is giving the Cowboys just 17 snaps per game in the games that Dallas has played since the trade.
And as good as he is, it's hard to argue that this is worth the draft capital Dallas gave up.
In the Porter trade, the Steelers received a 2028 second-round pick, as well as a 2027 sixth-round pick. At the time, it felt like Pittsburgh was ripped off—giving away a top man-coverage cornerback at the peak of his career for pennies. But now, it looks like more than they deserved.
The Cowboys already took a risk trading for a player in a contract year, with no guarantee that he will stick around beyond the 2026 season. Porter is set to become an unrestricted free agent after what could be a lost season for the currently 4-5 Cowboys this year. If he doesn't receive the franchise tag or a costly extension (which could be north of $30 million per season), he could walk away and sign with another team.
If the Cowboys don't end up making the playoffs this year and Porter ends up leaving, this could look like a complete disaster for Dallas.
Either way, considering that Porter has missed multiple games since the trade and has only played a part-time role on his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers might have received more than they should have for their disgruntled former cornerback.
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