​Joey Porter Jr. Says He Felt ‘Disrespected’ by Steelers originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Joey Porter Jr. didn’t hold back when asked about his contract standoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers.Now a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Porter said Thursday that he felt “disrespected” and “undervalued” throughout the negotiation process with Pittsburgh.New Cowboys CB Joey Porter Jr. is willing to bet on himself without a contract extension in Dallas. That wasn’t the case in Pittsburgh. I asked him if he felt disrespected during the negotiation process: “Definitely. It was a hard process. A lot of ups and downs. Definitely felt disrespected. Definitely felt undervalued. But that’s old news now.”— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) October 1, 2026″It was a hard process, a lot of ups and down,” Porter told reporters, via Cowboys beat reporter Joseph Hoyt. “Definitely felt disrespected and undervalued. But that’s old news now. That’s how I look at it. I’m onto new beginnings and new chapters, that’s how I’m looking at it.”Porter entered the 2026 season seeking a contract extension from the Steelers but did not play in Pittsburgh’s first three games amid the contract situation and a lingering back issue. The Steelers ultimately traded him to Dallas on Wednesday for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.The cornerback is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and does not have a new deal with the Cowboys. Still, Porter said he is willing to play without an extension in Dallas because he feels the Cowboys have already shown him they value him by acquiring him.“It was the value. I didn’t feel like it was really that over there,” Porter said. “Dallas is showing me that they value me more over here. That’s really all I need to show what I can do.”The 26-year-old has started 41 of his 47 career games since Pittsburgh selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He has recorded 165 tackles, 31 pass breakups and three interceptions during his three seasons with the Steelers.Now, Porter is focused on moving forward with the Cowboys.“I’m onto new beginnings and new chapters,” Porter said.More SteelersLatest Steelers newsHow ‘Renegade’ became Steelers’ pump-up songComplete history of Steelers championships