Joey Porter Jr. was shockingly traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys, putting an end to the ugly contract situation that generated tremendous buzz in the Steel City. While the Porter drama was a distraction, we at Steelers Wire believe Pittsburgh didn't exactly walk out of the trade as the biggest winner.
From a Steelers cornerback who may see a bigger role now that Porter is out of the picture to a general manager with plenty to answer for, here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from Pittsburgh's blockbuster deal with the Cowboys.
Winners
Asante Samuel Jr.
Samuel didn't look great against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. But that hardly matters, as the only real threat to taking his starting job away was just sent packing to Dallas. Now that Porter
is gone, Samuel is the unquestioned starting cornerback opposite Jamel Dean.
Dallas Cowboys
Somehow, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys did it again and got the better of the Steelers in yet another trade. Dallas will take a huge step forward with Porter as its top cornerback, while only having to give up a conditional sixth-round draft pick and a 2028 second-round selection. The Cowboys were the clear winners in this trade.
Losers
Steelers' defense
The Patrick Graham-led defense has looked promising through three games in 2026, but losing Porter is a huge blow. It would've been exciting to see what Porter could've done in this promising unit, but now the team is banking on Samuel, who just isn't as reliable in coverage as Porter was for the team.
Joey Porter Jr.
Porter, who grew up around the Steelers' organization courtesy of his legendary father Joey Porter Sr., is heading into uncharted waters in Dallas. Porter Jr. seemed like he'd be a Steeler for life, but he apparently chose a bigger contract opportunity over playing for Pittsburgh. The situation got ugly fast, and although the Steelers should've paid him, Porter also should've just played out his rookie deal. It's reportedly not going to get easier with Dallas, as the Cowboys are also not looking to negotiate a new contract with Porter until the end of the 2026 season. We hope it was worth it for Porter, but it doesn't really seem like it as things stand right now.
Omar Khan
The "Khan Artist" got fleeced once again by the Cowboys. First it was George Pickens, now it's Porter. While Keeanu Benton, Nick Herbig, and Darnell Washington are all immensely talented, Porter should've been the first player from the 2023 NFL Draft class to receive his extension. Instead of franchise tagging Porter following the 2026 season, Khan decided to pull the plug on the Porter situation for draft capital that doesn't really match the star cornerback's value.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Biggest winners. losers from Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. trade to Cowboys
