Steelers Ship Joey Porter Jr. to Cowboys to End Monthslong Saga

The monthslong staring contest in Pittsburgh is finally over, and Jerry Jones just blinked. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Pittsburgh Steelers are shipping cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a pair of draft picks.

This ends a saga that has been hanging over the Steelers' locker room for weeks. Instead of dragging the drama deeper into the fall, Pittsburgh decided to cash out, sending a legacy name packing to a team desperate enough to pay the asking price.

"ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the trade ends a 'monthslong saga.'"

You can see exactly why Dallas made the call. The Cowboys are coming off a brutal 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens where their defense looked like a turnstile. When you are bleeding points in the secondary and the betting markets are starting to fade your defense, throwing draft capital at a young, physical corner like Porter is the panic move that actually makes sense.

On the flip side, the Steelers are sitting pretty. They just edged out the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 and are moving forward without the distraction. Pittsburgh gets to stockpile picks and focus on their upcoming clash with the Cleveland Browns, completely free of the Porter circus.

Trading a guy named Joey Porter Jr. away from Pittsburgh feels like a glitch in the simulation. It is like seeing a Manning play for the Raiders. But the NFL is a cold business, and nostalgia does not cover elite receivers on third down.

Now the clock starts on how fast Dallas can get him up to speed. The Cowboys need immediate returns on their investment to fix a leaky defense, while the Steelers get to sit back, count their new draft picks, and watch from afar.