Jerry Jones sets high Bar for Joey Porter Jr and expects move to mirror George Pickens trade

J erry Jones has made it clear that the Dallas Cowboys did not acquire Joey Porter Jr. simply to add another body to a depleted secondary as the blockbuster move comes with expectations shaped by the success of the George Pickens trade. Porter 's arrival also gave Jones another opportunity to follow through on his stated willingness to spend draft capital to improve a team he believes can compete this season as the Cowboys sent a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round selection to the Pittsburgh Steelers .

A condition attached to the 2027 pick requires Porter to be active for two games this season after Jones had already indicated during training camp that he was prepared to make an aggressive move if the right opportunity emerged. That stance became even clearer after Dallas ' 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil on Monday Night Football to Tyler Loop 's field goal. Now Porter is that move, but Jones is setting the bar particularly high by setting another player the Cowboys acquired through a trade with the Steelers in the form of their star wide receiver Pickens . “Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on [1053thefan] said,” Jon Machota reports. “He's hoping the trade for CB Jerry Porter Jr. can have similar results as the George Pickens trade: ‘That's pretty high expectations, but you have to have them to make a deal like this.’” Pickens provides the obvious comparison as after joining Dallas , he produced a career-best 1429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, giving the Cowboys an immediate impact from a player acquired via trade. Jones now wants Porter to deliver a similarly significant return, although the cornerback 's job will look very different as Dallas needs him to stabilize a poor secondary, limited by injuries and depth.

Could Porter make debut in Texans clash?

Dallas will have to accelerate Porter 's preparation after he missed the entire preseason and training camp after he aggravated a back issue during a mobility workout on the opening day of camp and remained on the physically unable to perform list until August. He also missed Pittsburgh 's first three games and had been limited throughout regular-season practices while working through what the Steelers ' head coach Mike McCarthy described as a “ramp-up” process. But Porter 's first opportunity could come almost immediately as a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter there is a “chance” the cornerback could make his Cowboys debut Sunday against the Houston Texans on October 4. Porter had started 41 games across three seasons and recorded three interceptions before the trade and his availability therefore becomes key to a Super Bowl bid from Dallas .