The Pittsburgh Steelers apparently had enough of the Joey Porter Jr. situation and decided to trade their star cornerback to the Dallas Cowboys for what some may consider pennies on the dollar. This, of course, had a big impact on the trade grades for both the Steelers and Cowboys.
Taking a look at the compensation package, which included a 2027 conditional sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, here's a look at the grades for the Steelers and Cowboys following the Porter trade.
Pittsburgh SteelersThe situation was ugly for Pittsburgh, but trading away Porter for a Day 3 pick and a 2028 second-rounder wasn't the right call. The Steelers selected Porter with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and one could argue that he exceeded expectations by emerging as one of the league's top man-coverage cornerbacks. But the Cowboys just got an elite starter at a discount price, which leaves Pittsburgh with a dreadful trade grade.
Grade: D+ (and that's being generous)
Dallas CowboysThe Cowboys have been in the market for a starting-caliber cornerback ever since things didn't work out with Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys saw several cornerbacks go down with injuries this season and jumped at an opportunity to land an outstanding player in Porter. While some may view this move as a short-term rental, the Cowboys received one of the NFL's best lockdown corners for a conditional sixth-round pick and a future second-round draft selection. Dallas already fleeced the Steelers for George Pickens, and we fear they just did so again with Porter.
Grade: A-
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers-Cowboys' Joey Porter Jr. trade grades: Pittsburgh got burned again