News Article
Published
Oct 17, 2026 at 11:00 PM EDT
The Dallas Cowboys had to rule out Joey Porter Jr. hours before they lost 24-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 5 due to an illness.
Porter, who missed the first three games of the regular season amid a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers, played 24 snaps in the Cowboys' Week 4 win over the Houston Texans days after being traded from Pittsburgh. He was effective during the game, giving up zero receptions to quarterback C.J. Stroud.
On Friday, Porter was listed as questionable to play in the Cowboys contest against the Green Bay Packers on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 6 due to an ankle injury. He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Friday.
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Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Porter traveled with the team, which is a good sign he will play against the Packers on Sunday night.
"Also questionable was cornerback Joey Porter Jr., with an ankle injury," Florio wrote. "He was not downgraded to out, which means he traveled with the team."
Earlier in the week, Porter said the extra rest before Sunday's game was beneficial, another sign the cornerback will play his second game for the Cowboys.
"I feel great. Those extra days definitely helped," Porter said, via CBS Sports. "Helped me lock in with the playbook too. It was win-win. I was mad I couldn't be out there with the guys on that Thursday night. I was beating myself up, and my dad was just telling me 'keep the main thing the main thing and focus on what we have ahead of us.' That's Green Bay."
If Porter plays, the Cowboys would owe the Steelers a 2027 sixth-round pick as a piece of the trade they made for the cornerback. The pick was made on the condition that Porter was made active for two games this season.
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