Cowboys elevate Steward and Thomas; Texans add Murray for Sunday

Saturday, October 3 update

Dallas elevated defensive backs Reddy Steward and Juanyeh Thomas from the practice squad Saturday for Sunday's game at Houston. The additions give the Cowboys two more secondary options alongside the expected debut of newly acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Cowboys writer Tommy Yarrish confirmed both elevations Saturday afternoon. Thomas had returned to Dallas' practice squad this week; Steward is again available after being elevated for last week's game against Baltimore. Neither Saturday move announces a starting assignment.

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The transactions follow Friday's final injury report, which ruled cornerback Cobie Durant and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown out with hamstring injuries. Dallas will continue without those two defenders even as other parts of the secondary regain players.

Safety Malik Hooker and cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. practiced fully Friday and have no game designation. Hooker had been limited earlier in the week with a forearm injury. Revel, listed with knee and ankle injuries, returned to a full session after two missed practices. Steward and Thomas add depth around those returning options.

Porter was also absent from the injury report. ESPN's Todd Archer reported Friday that executive vice president Stephen Jones expected the cornerback to receive snaps against Houston after practice. Dallas acquired Porter from Pittsburgh this week and has been working him into its defensive communication and preparation.

Houston made its own game-day roster addition Saturday, elevating linebacker Kenneth Murray from the practice squad. The Texans' official transaction announcement identifies the move as a standard elevation. Murray's addition gives Houston another linebacker available for Sunday's game without a permanent active-roster signing.

The Texans also expect receiver Nico Collins back after he practiced fully Friday and finished the week without a game designation. His return supplies Houston with its leading receiver while Dallas assembles a secondary that includes an incoming cornerback, two players clearing the final report and two temporary elevations.

Saturday's completed moves fill in the roster picture left open Friday. Dallas has added Steward and Thomas for the game, Houston has elevated Murray, and the Cowboys' confirmed absences remain Durant and Overshown. The teams meet Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern in Houston, with Dallas facing a quick turnaround before hosting Tampa Bay on Thursday.

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Earlier reporting retained; Saturday status above supersedes earlier availability

Friday injury-report update — October 2

Joey Porter Jr. carries no injury designation for Sunday’s game against Houston and is available to make his Cowboys debut, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported Friday. Archer also reported that executive vice president Stephen Jones said after practice on 105.3 The Fan that he expected Porter to receive snaps.

That moves Porter beyond the earlier conditional practice assessment. In Dallas’ Friday morning report, coach Brian Schottenheimer had said Porter needed to put together a second practice day before the team would feel comfortable using him. Archer’s later report gives Dallas an available cornerback option for the Texans game; Jones’s expectation of snaps does not specify a snap count or a starting assignment.

Earlier Thursday practice and arrival reporting

Joey Porter Jr. completed his first Cowboys practice Thursday after passing his physical, the team's report confirmed. Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk independently reported the completed session Thursday evening. Porter said his back was feeling better and that he hopes to make his season debut Sunday against Houston.

His participation advances the earlier report that he was expected to practice after arriving in Dallas. His debut remains a separate decision: coach Brian Schottenheimer said the team would watch how the rest of the week goes, while the Cowboys' official story said Porter would have a specific package if he plays.

Dallas is managing injuries elsewhere in the secondary. Cobie Durant and Shavon Revel remained out of practice Thursday, while Malik Hooker remained limited. Porter's completed session gives Dallas another option, without settling his Sunday availability or workload.

Earlier Thursday arrival and trade background

Joey Porter Jr. was in the Cowboys’ building Thursday and was expected to practice with Dallas that day, NFL Network reporter Jane Slater reported. That gives the newly acquired cornerback a chance to begin working in Christian Parker’s defense after the overnight trade agreement. The report does not establish a completed practice, an official participation level or clearance to play at Houston on Sunday.

Trade agreement and Wednesday background

The Cowboys have agreed to terms on a trade for Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., adding a potential starter to a secondary already missing practice time because of injuries. Dallas announced the agreement overnight after Tom Pelissero reported that the teams were finalizing the deal late Wednesday.

ESPN's Todd Archer and Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein each reported, citing a source, that Dallas will send Pittsburgh a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round selection. NFL.com also attributed those terms to NFL Network's Jane Slater. The Cowboys' announcement confirms the agreement but does not list the compensation.

Porter, 26, has not played in Pittsburgh's first three games this season. The Steelers' final report for Thursday's game at Cleveland lists him as out with a non-injury-related/conditioning/back designation. He was limited Wednesday after being a full participant in the team's estimated Monday and Tuesday reports. That record leaves his readiness for Dallas' next game unresolved.

The need at cornerback is immediate. Cobie Durant has been dealing with a hamstring injury, while Shavon Revel has knee and ankle injuries. Both missed Wednesday's practice. The Cowboys identify Porter as an experienced starter who can play opposite DaRon Bland, but have not announced a debut date or promised a full workload. Dallas visits Houston on Sunday.

Porter was the first selection of the second round in the 2023 draft. According to the Cowboys, he has started 41 of his 47 career games, with 165 tackles, 31 pass breakups and three interceptions across three seasons.

The contract question travels with him. Porter is in the final season of his rookie deal, and Dallas says he and Pittsburgh did not reach an extension before the Steelers' usual start-of-season negotiating deadline. No extension accompanies the Cowboys' announcement.

For Dallas, the agreement follows Jerry Jones' Tuesday acknowledgment that the club was discussing defensive additions. It is also another negotiation between familiar teams: Pittsburgh previously sent George Pickens and, later, offensive tackle Broderick Jones to the Cowboys. The immediate addition is at cornerback; Porter's health and next contract remain separate decisions.