Joey Porter Jr. Injury Update and More From Dallas Cowboys' Thursday Practice Report

The Dallas Cowboys have dropped their second injury report of the week ahead of the Week 4 game against the Houston Texans and there was one notable player not on it.

That player is cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who was brought in via trade on Wednesday night in a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers that saw Dallas give up a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round selection.

We'll have more on Porter Jr.'s Week 4 status shortly, but for now here's a look at the Cowboys' Thursday injury report.

Cowboys' Thursday injury report

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant. — Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant (2) walks off the field with an apparent injury against the Washington Commanders during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

CB Cobie Durant (hamstring): Did not practice
LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring): Did not practice
CB Shavon Revel (knee/ankle): Did not practice
S Malik Hooker (forearm): Limited practice
OLB James Houston (shoulder): Full practice

The injury report was status quo from Wednesday.

Durant, Overshown and Revel remain on track to sit out in Week 4, while Hooker remains a possibility to return. Houston should be good to go after turning in two full sessions.

Dallas is obviously in a precarious spot in the secondary, where they will likely be down two cornerbacks, and Hooker's absence would press Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell into bigger roles at safety.

At linebacker, Overshown's absence would mean another start for Jaishawn Barham, who may not relinquish the role upon the veteran's return, which would be bad news for Dee Winters.

“We're going to play that by ear,” Brian Schottenheimer said when asked about Barham potentially starting when Overshown gets back, per ESPN's Todd Archer. “I think Jaishawn's earning those opportunities though right now with how he's playing.

Joey Porter Jr. eyeing Week 4 debut

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) observes training camp drills at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before the trade, Porter was trying to get a contract extension done with the Steelers, but the two sides couldn't come to an agreement.

While that was going on, Porter was in and out of practice with a back issue, something he had supposedly been dealing with since the offseason, and he was even on the PUP list with the issue during training camp.

However, upon his arrival in Dallas, Porter is apparently cured of his injury and even said he is ready to play in Week 4 if the Cowboys want him to.

“We’re just trying to take things day by day,” Porter said. "And if everything looks good, then we should be out there.”

The back flare up apparently went away on the flight from Pittsburgh to Dallas pic.twitter.com/FOUfAmJScT
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) October 1, 2026

Schottenheimer made it clear he wants Porter to go if the cornerback is ready.

"We'd like him to play, but we'll see how the week goes. I think he's excited about the opportunity to maybe play, but we'll see how the rest of the week goes," Schotty said. "But it was a good start today."

Given the injuries at cornerback, and the struggles in the room over the first three games, the Cowboys desperately need the veteran cornerback to play.

As of now, it looks like that's going to happen, although we would expect limited snaps in what will be his 2026 debut.

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