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Joey Porter Jr. practices with Cowboys after trade, could play Sunday vs. Texans

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FOX 4
Dallas Cowboys
Published October 1, 2026 3:30 PM CDT
Published October 1, 2026 3:30 PM CDT

The Brief

    • On Wednesday, the Dallas Cowboys acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2027 6th-round draft pick and a 2028 2nd-round draft pick.
    • Porter had been on the trade block after he and the Steelers could not come to terms on a new contract. Reports indicate Porter will play in Dallas without an extension.
    • On Thursday, Porter Jr. practiced for the first time with his new team, and the Cowboys hope he could play on Sunday against the Houston Texans.

DALLAS - The newest Dallas Cowboys trade acquisition is already practicing with the team, and the team is optimistic he'll take the field on Sunday.

Cowboys acquire Joey Porter Jr.

What we know:

This morning, the Cowboys officially announced their acquisition of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dallas sent a 2027 6th-round pick and a 2028 2nd-round pick to the Steelers to acquire Porter Jr., who has recorded 3 interceptions, 165 tackles, and 31 passes defended in 47 career games.

Hours after announcing the trade, Porter Jr. was seen on the practice field with his new team. FOX 4 captured video of Porter Jr. working with Christian Parker, his new defensive coordinator.

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Porter Jr. was wearing a generic No. 25 jersey at practice, but Parker told the media Porter Jr. will wear No. 36 in Dallas.

Dig deeper:

The trade to Dallas comes as Porter Jr. and the Steelers failed to agree on a contract extension.

Porter Jr. has not yet played in a game in 2026, spending the Steelers' first three games inactive. He was on the Physically Unable to Perform List during training camp.

The cornerback had begun practicing with hopes of playing in the team's Thursday game against the Cleveland Browns, but was ruled out with a NIR/Conditioning/Back designation.

He will be a free agent after the 2026 NFL season. For the time being, the Cowboys expect Porter Jr. to be their top corner on a defensive unit currently ravaged by injuries to the secondary.

What they're saying:

"He's a high-level coverage player, plays with great length. He has a lot of experience against a lot of high-level receivers, so we have evidence of how he does in that environment. So really excited about adding him in," Parker said during media availability on Thursday.

Parker was asked about the end of last week's game against the Ravens, where the Cowboys' defense gave up a long pass play to set up a game-winning field goal with seconds on the clock.

The first-year defensive coordinator said he'd make a different call if the same situation arose in the future.

"I had an original call in mind, overthought the situation relative to what their mindset was going to be going over time, trying to get some quick Hail Mary, all those things. So I would definitely make a different call if that situation came up again."

Christian Parker

What's next:

The Cowboys' next game is on Sunday, October 4, against the Houston Texans at 12 p.m.

Could Porter Jr. play in that game? The Cowboys are hopeful, and the team will spend the next few days getting him up to speed on his new defense.

The Source: Information in this story comes from the Dallas Cowboys.

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