Joey Porter Jr. best trade fits: Why Cowboys make sense, two NFC North teams could be in line to make offer

Five possible mock trade fits for Porter, who is still at odds with the Steelers

Sep 18, 2026 at 1:19 pm ET • 5 min read

The Joey Porter Jr. situation in Pittsburgh is seemingly growing and evolving every day. The talented fourth-year cornerback has been waiting months for a contract extension, and the Steelers aren't willing to comply — at least not to Porter's liking. According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor and Jeremy Fowler, the biggest issue is the Steelers' reluctance to guarantee money long-term, an organizational precedent they have broken only for stars. Porter, 26, believes he's a star of that caliber; Pittsburgh isn't quite there.

Porter's absence has also had its twists and turns. He was officially on the physically unable to perform list throughout training camp with a back injury, though Mike McCarthy later pointed to his absence as contract-related. Even this week, Porter was listed as a limited participant Wednesday with "Not Injury Related -- conditioning" as the reason. On Thursday, though, he was listed as limited due to the back injury.

Porter missed Week 1. One source told ESPN, "I don't know if he ever puts on a Steelers uniform again."

It should be noted that ESPN reports the Steelers have "neither made nor received any serious inquiries" regarding Porter, though Porter did request a trade. One source, per ESPN, believes Porter plus a quality Day 3 pick could fetch a second-round selection.

Joey Porter Jr. breakdown

Joey Porter Jr. has been very good for the Steelers since going 32nd overall in 2023. At 6-foot-2, he has impressive size and physicality, especially at the catch point. The Penn State product allowed just a 42% completion percentage as the primary defender last year, according to Pro Football Focus, the second-lowest number in the league behind Quinyon Mitchell (min. 50 targets).

He was even better in man coverage, allowing an NFL-low 35.3% completion percentage in those scenarios (min. 30 man coverage targets). That was just a tick better than the player currently topping the cornerback market: the Patriots' Christian Gonzalez.

Furthermore, Porter has improved in several statistical areas throughout his career.

Joey Porter Jr. career	Comp pct allowed	Yards per comp allowed	Passes defended
2023	42.4%	15.4	10
2024	57.3%	13.1	7
2025	42%	10.3	14

Porter can get a little too physical — his 14 defensive pass interference penalties are the most since he entered the NFL in 2023, and his five defensive holds are tied for eighth-most — but he is generally a very good corner who can take on the toughest assignments. 

Because Porter was a second-round pick, he has no fifth-year option attached to his rookie deal. Other top corners drafted in 2023, such as Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon, received record-breaking deals, but they were also first-round picks. The Patriots and Seahawks, therefore, were more eager to extend them in order to limit their cap hits in their respective fifth years. They've also, simply, been better players than Porter.

That's not to say Porter hasn't been good — and at times excellent — but he is not quite regarded as being in their class. Gonzalez was a second-team All-Pro in 2024 and a Pro Bowler in 2025. Witherspoon is a three-time Pro Bowler and was a second-team All-Pro last year. Both were in the Super Bowl a season ago, and both shined in that game. Porter, who is also older than both, has not made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, and his team has not won a playoff game.

Five fits for Joey Porter Jr.

Dallas Cowboys

You had to know this one was coming, right? Jerry Jones has hinted at another big move all offseason and into the preseason, and he certainly didn't like what he saw from the Cowboys' defense in Week 1 against the Giants. Porter would immediately be the top cornerback on the team. Jones has also shown an ability to open up his checkbook. (In fact, he usually pays more than he needs to because he drives a hard bargain and waits too long to extend guys, but the deals usually eventually get done.)

Chicago Bears

One only needs to turn on the Bears' Week 1 win over the Panthers to see why cornerback is such a need. There were issues all over the place. Top slot cornerback Kyler Gordon is still battling injury issues that limited him to just five games (including playoffs) last year.

Furthermore, the Bears played the second-highest rate of man coverage in Week 1, only behind the Colts. Ben Johnson has said he wants the highest-scoring offense in NFL history, and he might have to, given how porous his defense is. Porter would be an immediate, massive upgrade. Chicago would have to do a lot of restructuring for 2027 (which it'd do regardless), but the fit and need are clearly there.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo is off to a flying 2-0 start this year with Josh Allen already the frontrunner for MVP. The Bills have scored 77 points in two games.

The only problem? They've conceded 62 points. Jared Goff threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns in Week 2, four days after C.J. Stroud threw for 274 yards and two scores in Week 1. When the Bills don't get pressure, they're allowing 8.2 yards per attempt this season, which is among the bottom dozen teams.

Moreover, big picture, the Bills should be all-in. The offense looks awesome. The defensive front is getting early breakouts from Greg Rousseau and Deone Walker. Adding a game-changing cornerback would be an excellent "cherry-on-top" move, and pairing Christian Benford with Porter would turn a question mark into a strength.

Detroit Lions

Here's the team the Bills just beat. The Lions have problems all over their defense, so much so that All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell was fighting back tears after Thursday night's loss.

Cornerback, especially, is a glaring need. The Lions swung and missed in a big way in 2024 with first-rounder Terrion Arnold (no longer with the team) and second-rounder Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (last played in 2024). Those misses are really hurting right now. Perhaps there will be shakeups with the mini bye ahead. The Lions have been aggressive moving draft capital in trade-ups; maybe this time they will be aggressive in acquiring a player. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard would love a big, physical man corner.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers had a ton of cap room this year and didn't really do much with it. That's been the modus operandi for the Bolts and GM Joe Hortiz, who came over from Baltimore, another team that leans heavily on drafting and developing.

Los Angeles got excellent play out of its defense in recent years, with Jesse Minter's outstanding defensive playbook and coverage concepts helping many defensive backs play at their highest level. But it's not an overly talented group — more one where the sum has been better than its parts — and Porter could immediately bring the talent level up a notch. Premier young talent doesn't come available often. If it does with Porter, the Chargers shouldn't hesitate to throw themselves into the mix.