Cowboys Acquire Joey Porter Jr. From Steelers in Exchange for Two Draft Selections

The Dallas Cowboys acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.

The Dallas Cowboys acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick and a 2028 second-round selection. According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, the deal allows Dallas to potentially move DaRon Bland from the outside back to the slot, while relocating 2026 first-round pick Caleb Downs to his natural safety position. Porter has limited opposing passers to a lower rating in man coverage over the last four seasons than every cornerback except Derek Stingley Jr.

Under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker, the Cowboys have utilized man coverage on 24.8% of snaps through the first three weeks, exceeding the league average of 23.2%. Porter joins a secondary after recording press alignments on 30.6% of his career snaps. This marks the third trade between Dallas and Pittsburgh in 18 months, following previous deals for George Pickens and Broderick Jones.

In a separate move, the New York Giants acquired quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round pick. The trade follows a knee injury to Giants starter Jaxson Dart and two relief appearances by Jameis Winston, who recorded QBRs of 19.0 and 27.9. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, posted a 36.1 QBR in 2025 and recently lost the backup competition in Minnesota to Carson Wentz. The NFL trade deadline is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. ET.