Last night’s Buccaneers-Cowboys game was preceded by the unexpected news that cornerback Joey Porter Jr. would miss the race due to a sudden illness. In light of a back injury that led him to refuse to play for the Steelers until he was traded — and given that the back injury went away shortly after he was traded to the Cowboys — some connected the dots from the illness to the lack of a long-term deal.
As noted by Matt Yoder of Terrible announcementPrime Video analyst Richard Sherman went there during Thursday night’s pregame show.
“I think maybe if they had given him a new contract, maybe he would have been a little healthier today“, Sherman said.
But Porter doesn’t have much to gain by refusing to play. He already got what he wanted from the Steelers – a trade from Pittsburgh. If he keeps making fake excuses not to play, he won’t help his long-term interests.
At this point, his only play seems to be playing as good as he can in hopes of getting a long-term deal, the franchise tag or a ticket to the open market.
That said, it’s clear the Cowboys are keeping their options open for the possibility of tagging Porter, the same way they tagged receiver George Pickens after his first year with the team.
“We’re working under an existing contract with an extended contract,” Jones said last Friday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Think a little.
“But in the same way, there are two things to tango here. It’s the team and I are matching that kind of commitment. What you’re seeing in both of these cases is working through a reasonable way to advance the ball, to advance the ball by being, ‘Get up, be an outstanding player and get an outstanding contract.’ That’s what you’re seeing, and I’m glad we were able to do that with George. A lot of credit goes to everybody including, especially (coach) Brian Schottenheimer. Brian was very helpful, and they have a great relationship.
“And so, that’s the way to solve this problem. This thing is not a perfect thing in our agreement, in our overall agreement, if I dare say, the labor agreement, and it gives a lot of leverage to both parties. So when you see it work the way it is with George, you have to say, ‘Look, these are people working together.'”
The Cowboys haven’t worked anything with Pickens. Instead, they convinced him to play under the franchise tag for $27.298 million in 2026, even though the market is now north of $42 million.
Jones’ explanation suggests the door is open to tagging Porter if a long-term deal can’t be negotiated. If Porter’s sudden illness was a ruse, it won’t be the only time he doesn’t play. He will continue to find plausible ways to refuse to play, with the goal of pressuring the Cowboys to give him the contract he didn’t get from the Steelers.
And that he still hasn’t received from the Cowboys.
