The Pittsburgh Steelers finally bit the bullet and traded star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys. In return, Pittsburgh gets a future second-round pick and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2027.
For a myriad of reasons, this felt like a lackluster end of this saga.
Porter had developed into a really good starter. His contract impasse was unfortunate, and the fact that it collapsed so quickly is frustrating, considering how long the Steelers had failed to develop a competent cornerback.
With the trade official, though, the NFL has been quick to praise the Cowboys and pan the Steelers for the compensation. However, upon digging a little deeper, Dallas could quickly regret making this deal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may still get the better end of the Joey Porter Jr. trade with the Cowboys
While Dallas got a great player in Porter, they, like Pittsburgh, seemed to be cautious about paying Porter the deal that he clearly wanted. As of now, it seems like he will play for the Cowboys without a new deal.
That still makes Porter a free agent next offseason. Unless they blow Porter’s socks off with an exceptional deal, he has every incentive to test free agency and benefit from a bidding war.
Of course, there is the franchise tag. Next year, the estimated cost of tagging a cornerback is just over $23 million. Given the ballooning contracts at the position and a rising cap, this isn’t a horrible number.
The issue lies with another former Steelers player, George Pickens. Dallas is currently paying Pickens on the franchise tag for the 2026 season. Like Porter, Pickens will be a free agent in 2027.
Dallas can, of course, tag Pickens again. That comes with an elevated cost (roughly $32.75 million, since it would be his second year on the tag). Beyond just the cost, you can only tag one player a year.
This doesn’t even take into account that Dallas is projected to have just under $9 million in cap space next season. They will have some work to do to be able to tag either player at this rate.
Assuming the Cowboys don’t win the Super Bowl this season, that means they could already be forced to choose among some of their young players that they have had to trade for. If either Porter or Pickens (or both) walk next year, these trades look even worse for Dallas.
In terms of compensation, I think Dallas got a good deal for both Pickens and Porter. However, if they can’t retain either player long-term, it won’t matter. Losing a Day 2 pick in the draft for a short-term rental with no notable postseason success is a bad deal.
I don’t like this deal for the Steelers. That said, the Cowboys didn’t win this either. Having Porter could help this season, but he creates even more questions for this team in the long run.
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