Joey Porter Jr. Injury Update: Is the New Cowboys CB Playing Against the Texans?

The Dallas Cowboys traded for Joey Porter Jr. after a 1-2 start to the 2026 NFL season.

by Chris Phelps

Oct 4, 2026

Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Joey Porter Jr. joined the Dallas Cowboys after their 1-2 start to the 2026 NFL season, falling to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 in Brazil. Now, the Cowboys will look to get back to .500 on Sunday, hitting the road to face C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans in a Week 4 matchup.

Porter Jr. joined the NFL in 2023, drafted in the second-round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since then, he has become one of the top cornerbacks in the league over the last three seasons. However, with his four-year, $9.86 million rookie deal coming to an end after 2026, Porter Jr. was looking for a new contract from Pittsburgh, which he never got despite ongoing conversations.

And over the first three weeks of 2026, Porter Jr. has been out due to a “back injury,” which has been tied to his contract dispute with the Steelers.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., now with the Dallas Cowboys.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Sure enough, the Steelers elected to trade Porter Jr. to the Cowboys on Wednesday, receiving a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick in return. And with Dallas still remaining one of the worst defenses in the NFL, along with numerous injuries in the secondary, Porter Jr. could provide the help the Cowboys need for pass defense.

A few days after the trade, it was revealed that Porter Jr. suddenly has no injury designation for Dallas after practicing the last few days, and he will be making his debut on Sunday when the Cowboys face the Texans. Even Dallas EVP Stephen Jones noted that Porter Jr. is likely to receive snaps in Week 4 as well.

“Joey Porter Jr. carries no injury designation into Sunday’s game against the Texans and will be available to make his Cowboys’ debut,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X. “Speaking on 105.3 The Fan Friday after practice, executive vice president Stephen Jones said, ‘We actually think Joey Porter will get snaps.’ Porter, who was ruled out of Thursday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns after saying his back was tight, practiced the last two days without issue.

After Week 4, Porter Jr. and the Cowboys will head back to Dallas to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5’s edition of “Thursday Night Football.”