A handful of teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, have begun making inquiries about the availability of Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., league sources told ESPN.
The Steelers would be willing to listen to trade offers for Porter, according to sources, but they would want a strong compensation package if they were to deal the fourth-year star.
Porter has been seeking a new contract, but the Steelers do not negotiate deals during the season, raising questions about the possibility of a trade.
The Cowboys have aggressively overhauled their defense over the past 13 months, acquiring Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark in trades while using first-round draft picks on Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence.
But Dallas remains thin at cornerback, where Porter would potentially provide a significant boost. Cowboys starting cornerback Cobie Durant will not play in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens because of a hamstring injury.
Another team that could use help in the secondary is the Lions, who have yielded the second-most passing yards in the NFL over the first two weeks of the season. Detroit is without injured safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, who are both on the physically unable to perform list, and cornerback Avonte Maddox, who is out for the season with a foot injury.
Porter has not played this season as he continues a prolonged "ramp-up" process to return from a back injury. He is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals after being limited in practice this week.
He said Thursday that he "definitely" would play for the Steelers in 2026 despite not getting a contract extension but was noncommittal about his status against the rival Bengals.
