The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense has found success without Joey Porter Jr. Since Porter's trade to the Dallas Cowboys became official, the secondary has stepped up its game as defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has proven to be a great addition.
But if the Steelers are missing a former cornerback right now, it's not Porter; it's James Pierre.
During the 2026 offseason, general manager Omar Khan and the front office let Pierre walk away and sign with the Minnesota Vikings on a two-year, $8.5 million deal—an offer that could have easily been matched and exceeded by the Steelers.
Now halfway through the 2026 season, the Vikings—with their top-ranked pass defense—have proven that they got a remarkable deal on a veteran cornerback who could have (and probably should have) stayed in Pittsburgh all along.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a mistake letting James Pierre leave for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency
As the Dallas Cowboys continue to struggle, there's only so much Porter can do to aid a dismal defense. Though he has done a quality job shutting down his man during his four games with Dallas this season, Porter has struggled with penalties.
As a result, his 68.0 overall grade is currently good for 27th among 102 qualifying defensive backs, per Pro Football Focus—not bad by any means, but nowhere near the top.
Pierre, meanwhile, has recorded a 75.9 overall grade at the halfway mark of the season, which is good for 12th among all NFL cornerbacks. And the results speak for themselves.
In seven games, Pierre has been targeted just 18 times on 117 coverage snaps while allowing just nine catches for 84 yards. The 30-year-old cornerback has also recorded a pair of interceptions while not allowing a single touchdown. Collectively, Pierre has allowed just a 23.6 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks this season, per PFF [$].
In a heavy rotational role in Minnesota's secondary, Pierre is allowing a mere 12 receiving yards in coverage per game and is on track to surrender just 204 yards for the season. In addition to his coverage chops and ball skills, Pierre is also an aggressive and quality run defender who has just one missed tackle this season.
Steelers would have been better with Pierre than Porter for two obvious reasons
There are two big differences between Pierre and Porter: price and attitude.
Porter essentially faked a back injury and refused to suit up for the Steelers, as he sought a contract to be the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. Pierre, meanwhile, happily inked a deal with the Vikings during the 2026 offseason that paid him just $4.25 million per year, despite being PFF's No. 2-ranked CB in the NFL in 2025.
And with a contract like that, how could you go wrong?
There's no chance the Steelers regret signing Jamel Dean in free agency; he's been spectacular. And if the Steelers could do it over again, they would still sign Asante Samuel Jr. to a team-friendly deal.
However, Pierre would have given this team depth, security, and tenacity at the cornerback position at an incredible discount for excellent performance.
I highly doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers regret trading Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys—especially after how the relationship ended. If anything, they should regret letting James Pierre walk away for pennies when he's still proven to be a really good football player.
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