Joey Porter Jr. Doesn’t Hold Back After Steelers Trade

Joey Porter Jr. has spoken out about his feelings and mindset regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers now that he's been traded to the Dallas Cowboys.

While speaking with reporters for the first time as a member of the Cowboys less than 24 hours after the deal was agreed to, Porter Jr. admitted that he felt both disrespected and undervalued throughout the process by the Steelers.

"It was a hard process, a lot of ups and down," Porter Jr. said, per the Forth Worth Star-Telegram's Nick Harris. "Definitely felt disrespected and undervalued. But that’s old news now. That’s how I look at it. I’m onto new beginnings and new chapters, that’s how I’m looking at it.”

When asked why he was planning on suiting up for Dallas without a new deal and wasn't willing to do the same in Pittsburgh, Porter Jr. stated that he believes the Cowboys have already shown that they value him by acquiring him.

New Cowboys CB Joey Porter Jr. on why he would play without a contract in Dallas vs. standing off with over it in Pittsburgh:

“It was the value. I didn’t feel like it was really that over there. [Dallas] is showing me that they value me more over here. That’s really all I need… pic.twitter.com/qLmdQgmRI4
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) October 1, 2026

Who's Really to Blame for Steelers-Porter Jr. Breakup?

At the onset of the offseason, it was hard to argue that anyone but Porter Jr. was Pittsburgh's priority when it came to extending its key players on expiring contracts.

As the Steelers handed out new deals to Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington in early June before doing the same with Keeanu Benton in August, however, it eventually became evident that there was a large disconnect between Porter Jr. and the organization.

Training camp flew by without an agreement while Porter Jr. sat on the PUP list, and it was no dice on the contract front as Week 1 arrived as well.

It perhaps wasn't as clear in the moment, but the lack of an extension was likely the final straw for Porter Jr. when it came to suiting up for Pittsburgh after it didn't meet his asking price.

Some blame has to be placed on Porter Jr. and how he handled the situation in terms of opting not to play, though the Steelers are the biggest culprit within this entire saga.

Their long-standing tradition of not negotiating in-season certainly haunted them in this case, and they let their first franchise cornerback in quite some time leave out the door for an underwhelming package in return that included a 2028 second-round pick and 2027 conditional sixth-rounder.

It's not a great look for Porter Jr. and his camp in the end, but Pittsburgh has the most egg on its face.

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