It's official: Joey Porter Jr. was active for a second game with the Dallas Cowboys, and the Pittsburgh Steelers can finally breathe a sigh of relief with additional draft capital now heading their way.
A big part of the Steelers-Cowboys trade was a conditional sixth-round pick that required Porter to be on Dallas' game-day roster for at least two games, which appeared to be in jeopardy following his surprise absence in Week 5 and concerning ankle injury on the Week 6 practice report. Luckily for the Steelers, Porter was active for the Cowboys' blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers, and Dallas' 2027 sixth-round pick is officially heading to Pittsburgh.
Joey Porter Jr. is active and the Cowboys’ sixth round pick in 2027 is now officially owned by the Steelers with this being the second game Porter is active https://t.co/TqG1mnN1H4
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) October 18, 2026
Porter was a solid contributor for Pittsburgh during his three years in the league, slowly cementing himself as one of the league's top man-coverage cornerbacks. Unfortunately, the Steelers and Porter couldn't strike a deal before the start of the regular season, the team's historically self-imposed deadline, which resulted in a huge disconnect between both sides.
After failing to suit up for the Steelers with a "back injury" early in the 2026 season, Porter gave the team no choice but to trade him to any willing suitor, which so happened to be the Cowboys. Porter, however, isn't expected to receive a long-term deal from Dallas at this time and will instead play out the final year of his rookie contract.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any roster news and injury updates, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers get last laugh in Joey Porter Jr. drama with Cowboys