Joey Porter Jr. says the Dallas Cowboys value him more than the Pittsburgh Steelers did, which shows he knows very little about the business of football, nor how his new team operates.
Porter arrived in Dallas on the same rookie deal he signed after Pittsburgh drafted him in 2023. The Cowboys traded for the player. They haven't paid the player, and according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, they don't intend to do so right away.
That's where Porter's comments lose me. Feeling wanted by a new coaching staff is one thing. Financial value in the NFL is another. Teams will praise players, recruit them, trade draft capital for them, and talk about how badly they fit the plan. When it's time to guarantee millions of dollars, the conversation changes fast.
Pittsburgh actually put an extension on the table. Gerry Dulac reported that Porter rejected a deal worth slightly more than $27 million annually. The guarantees and full structure weren't made public, so Porter's gripe may be warranted. Dallas, meanwhile, hasn't offered him any long-term security.
Joey Porter Jr. could soon be in same boat after reuniting with former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate George Pickens in Dallas
“It was the value. I didn’t feel like it was really that over there,” Porter said of Pittsburgh. “[Dallas] is showing me that they value me more over here.”
When asked if he felt disrespected by Pittsburgh: “Definitely, definitely. It was a hard process, a lot of ups and downs. Definitely felt disrespected and undervalued. But that’s old news now. That’s how I look at it. I’m on to new beginnings and new chapters; that’s how I’m looking at it.”
It could be a while before Porter is paid in this new chapter he speaks of. Maybe Dallas has made Porter feel more appreciated, but Jerry Jones' own recent history should tell him not to confuse appreciation with the contract he’s seeking.
George Pickens arrived from Pittsburgh, erupted for 1,429 receiving yards in 2025, and still didn't get the multi-year contract he wanted. Dallas instead used the franchise tag, keeping Pickens for 2026 without making the long-term commitment he sought.
Porter's contract situation gets trickier when George Pickens enters the chat. If Dallas decides to keep both former Steelers beyond 2026, the Cowboys will face major contract decisions on Porter and Pickens at essentially the same time.
Pickens will be looking for the multi-year deal he didn't get this offseason, while Porter will be trying to cash in after playing out the final year of his rookie contract. Jones won't be deciding Porter's value in a vacuum, but rather how much of the Cowboys' future payroll he wants tied up in both players at once.
Micah Parsons' exit says even more about how Dallas does business. Parsons became a two-time first-team All-Pro and recorded 52.5 sacks over four seasons in Dallas. When his contract negotiations fell apart, the Cowboys traded him to Green Bay instead of meeting his price. Green Bay immediately gave him the massive extension Dallas wouldn't.
Porter isn't Parsons. He hasn't been an All-Pro. He hasn't even made a Pro Bowl. Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, Denzel Ward, Trent McDuffie, and Sauce Gardner have stronger claims to the position's upper echelon. Porter played excellent coverage in 2025, but one strong season doesn't automatically entitle him to elite-corner money.
Dallas absolutely showed Porter it wanted him by surrendering a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder. But those assets went to Pittsburgh, though, not into Porter's pocket.
Now he'll bet on himself for the rest of 2026, exactly what he refused to do with the Steelers. If he plays his way into the contract he wants, Jones can pay him. But if Pickens is sitting across the same negotiating table looking for his own long-term payday, Dallas may have to decide which former Steeler it values more with actual guaranteed money.
If Porter doesn't play well enough to force that decision, Dallas has every business reason to decline. That's how the NFL works, no matter how "valued" anybody feels by a team.
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