Joey Porter Jr. says Steelers left him feeling disrespected and undervalued

Joey Porter Jr. was at a Wednesday night screening of Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast when he learned the Pittsburgh Steelers had traded him to the Dallas Cowboys. By Thursday morning he had pulled an all-nighter and was practicing with his new team.

The cornerback did not hide his relief. “Man, I was excited,” Porter said. “I’m not even gonna lie. I was actually at the movies when I got the call, so I had to leave the movies and went home, but I am blessed. I am excited. I called my people and they were excited with me. New chapter, new beginnings, and I’m ready.”

Porter had not played for Pittsburgh this season after failing to secure the contract extension he wanted. Dallas traded for him without a long-term deal, and Porter made clear that he will play without one.

Negotiations in Pittsburgh left him feeling shortchanged. “It was the value,” Porter said. “I didn’t feel like it was really that over there [in Pittsburgh]. [Dallas] is showing me that they value me more over here. That’s really all I need to show what I can do.”

He is in the final year of his contract with a $3.92 million base salary. The Cowboys will inherit the remaining $3.052 million balance and do not plan to give him an extension during the season, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.

Porter was direct about how the Steelers handled negotiations. “Definitely, definitely,” he said. “It was a hard process, a lot of ups and down. 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.”

Pittsburgh had already ruled Porter out for Thursday Night Football, but he could be available for the Cowboys on Sunday against the Houston Texans.

The trade gives Dallas an experienced cornerback at a modest remaining cap number, while Porter gets an immediate chance to reshape his value before free agency.

Reporting by NBC Sports. Read the original report: Joey Porter felt disrespected and undervalued by Steelers.