Aaron Rodgers said he thought Joey Porter Jr. might play against Cleveland based on what he saw in practice, only for the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys late Wednesday night. Hours later, Pittsburgh lost 27-24 to the Browns without Porter ever taking a 2026 snap for the Steelers.
Rodgers' comment makes the timing of Porter's departure feel even more abrupt. He didn't suggest there was tension behind the scenes or that Porter was guaranteed to play against Cleveland. He simply believed, based on what he saw at practice, that Porter was getting close enough to potentially return.
The timeline keeps this from becoming a story about Pittsburgh yanking a starter out of the game plan. The Steelers' Week 4 injury report listed Porter as a full participant Monday and Tuesday, although both were walkthrough estimates. He was limited Wednesday and then ruled out with conditioning and back designations before the trade came together that night. Rodgers' expectation and the team's final game status clearly weren't the same thing.
Aaron Rodgers' comment shows how fast the Pittsburgh Steelers closed the door
“I thought Joey might play this week based on his practice stuff,” Rodgers said after Thursday's loss.
Rodgers doesn't set Pittsburgh's defensive rotation, so his comment isn't proof that Porter was getting snaps against Cleveland. It does tell us something about how Porter's week looked to a teammate inside the building. After three weeks of waiting, his football activity had progressed far enough that Rodgers could envision him returning.
Aaron Rodgers spoke to the media. @Acrisure pic.twitter.com/4PNldIJZUS
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 2, 2026
Cameron Heyward also pushed back on connecting the Cleveland loss to the trade. Pittsburgh had already played its first three games without Porter, so the Steelers weren't suddenly rebuilding their defensive plan on Thursday afternoon because he was gone.
Pittsburgh still moved a 26-year-old cornerback with 41 career starts just as his return seemed closer. Porter had led the Steelers with 14 passes defensed in 2025, yet Pittsburgh decided a sixth-round pick in 2027 and a second-round selection in 2028 were enough to move on rather than see what he could give them once healthy.
Porter's departure creates an even clearer opening for third-round rookie Daylen Everette to earn a larger role. Pittsburgh had already leaned on its other corners while Porter sat, so the trade turns a temporary arrangement into the plan going forward.
Dallas had Porter doing individual work Thursday, and Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he moved well during his first day with the team. If Porter plays quickly for Dallas, it won't prove Pittsburgh would've used him against Cleveland. It will show just how narrow the gap was between Porter seemingly working toward a Steelers return and Pittsburgh deciding that two future draft picks were more valuable than waiting to see what that return looked like.
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