Cowboys Send New Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Home with Illness Before Buccaneers Game

The Dallas Cowboys have sent new cornerback Joey Porter Jr. home with an illness just hours before their scheduled Thursday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 26-year-old, acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers just last week, was expected to start at cornerback opposite DaRon Bland. However, the team announced his unavailability approximately 90 minutes before kickoff.

Sources indicated that Porter arrived at the facility feeling unwell and was vomiting, rendering him unfit to play. This unexpected absence is a blow to the Cowboys as they aim to improve their record to 3-2.

Porter had been traded to Dallas in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. He had been inactive for the first three games of the current season with the Steelers due to a back issue and a contract dispute.

In his debut with the Cowboys last Sunday, Porter played 24 snaps in a victory against the Houston Texans, despite having only practiced with the team for three days prior. His absence on Thursday will likely necessitate a start for second-year cornerback Shavon Revel, who has been managing knee and ankle injuries sustained in Week 3.