Joey Porter Jr. pushed back against contract speculation, stating his recent two-week absence stems entirely from an ankle injury.
ESPN reported that the Dallas Cowboys cornerback addressed the rumors following missed practices in Frisco, Texas. Porter has not played since exiting a loss against the Arizona Cardinals and missing a subsequent game against the Indianapolis Colts.
“Ni siquiera sé de dónde salió esa historia,” Porter said, as reported by ESPN. “Lo entiendo; es internet, pero la verdad es que no le presto atención ni me importa. Mi objetivo es ganar partidos y jugar al fútbol americano; eso es lo que quiero hacer.”
The defensive back initially hurt his ankle on October 4 during his team debut after arriving via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that Porter is dealing with lingering discomfort in both his heel and ankle.
“Tengo todo el pie bastante maltrecho,” Porter told ESPN. “Estuve jugando un tiempo, pero la situación fue empeorando hasta el punto en que tuve que parar.”
Porter sat out training sessions on November 11 and November 12, though he performed light resistance-band work during the media-accessible portion of Thursday’s workout. He indicated he ran briefly and hopes to increase his workload ahead of Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Suiting up against San Francisco depends heavily on his mobility, according to the cornerback. The Cowboys acquired Porter on October 1 in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick and a 2028 second-round draft selection, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
“Necesito poder correr y hacer cambios de dirección,” Porter explained to ESPN. “Juego en una posición en la que debo marcar a los jugadores más atléticos del campo; si no puedo correr, realizar movimientos rápidos o saltar, entonces no sirvo de mucho ahí fuera.”
Porter aims to test his movement on November 13 before the team makes a final determination on his availability for the weekend kickoff.
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