Report: No new contract for Joey Porter Jr. in Dallas (at least for now)
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has been traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys without a new contract agreement. The Cowboys now hold his existing contract and the option to use a franchise tag in 2027.
Why it matters
The trade highlights the high-stakes nature of NFL contract negotiations and the strategic roster management decisions teams make to address defensive weaknesses.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. wanted a new contract. He didn’t get one. He wanted a trade. He got one.
Via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram , the trade of Porter from the Steelers to the Cowboys comes without a new contract .
The Cowboys inherit the $3.052 million balance of his $3.924 million base salary for 2026. They also acquire the ability to apply the franchise tag to Porter in 2027.
With the 2026 franchise tag for cornerbacks at $21.161 million and the market well above $30 million, the Cowboys could be tempted to tag Porter and kick the can.
They also could let him leave, harvest a third-round compensatory pick in 2028, and thereby offset the second-round pick they’ll be sending to the Steelers that year (and the 2027 sixth-rounder).
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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