A new internet theory has Dallas Cowboys fans side-eyeing cornerback Joey Porter Jr. The idea? That the recently acquired defensive back is up to some shenanigans and staging a hold-in for a new contract.

I’ll explain why people believe that, what the Cowboys are saying about it, and why I’m not buying the storyline. At least not yet.

Why the Joey Porter Jr. theory exists

Here’s the context. Porter Jr. was dealing with a back injury, according to him, amid a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fans and media members alike speculated that the back injury wasn’t real and that it was a negotiating tactic, similar to the one Micah Parsons used with the Cowboys last year.

The reasoning is simple. Porter Jr. isn’t the first player to come down with a back issue in that kind of standoff. On top of that, he played just a few days after Pittsburgh traded him, making his Cowboys debut against the Houston Texans in Week 4. When asked about his back healing so quickly, Porter Jr. laughed. 

Then things got strange. Before Dallas’ Week 5 Thursday night matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Porter Jr. landed on the injury report with an illness and was ruled out roughly 90 minutes before kickoff. He was seen struggling pregame and was vomiting leading up to the game until the Cowboys sent him home. Thursday Night Football even showed him exiting the locker room as a team staffer carried a trash can in front of him.

One week later, he’s back on the injury report, this time with an ankle injury. He was a full participant Thursday, then limited Friday, and he’s listed as questionable against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.

That back-and-forth has a lot of people asking whether Porter Jr. actually wants to play.

The accrued season argument

I hate to say it, but the theory reached a whole new level because of a fan account on X (formerly Twitter). The post got enough traction that Cowboys vice president of player personnel Stephen Jones was asked about it on the radio.

The user pointed out what every fan should know: NFL players need four accrued seasons to hit unrestricted free agency. A player earns an accrued season by spending six games on a team’s active/inactive list, injured reserve, or the PUP list.

The implication is that after this week, Porter Jr. will have banked enough time to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, whether he plays the rest of the way or not.

I just don’t see it. And the Cowboys don’t seem worried, either. Jones said the team expects Porter Jr. to play against the Packers.

“Oh, absolutely, I think (Porter) is all in,” Jones said 105.3 The Fan. “He wants to be out there. He was sick, he couldn’t play last week with the flu, but he obviously played in our first game, and I think he’s fired up about what he can do to help us win against the Packers.”

Why I’m not buying it

Think about it. Porter Jr. already suited up for Dallas. He has been publicly excited about joining the team.

Multiple reports also indicate his issues in Pittsburgh went beyond money. There was real discontent with the front office. Reports indicate the Steelers didn’t even fully guarantee Porter Jr. money in his second year. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly said on The Pat McAfee Show after the trade that the locker room was on the side of Porter Jr., not on the side of the franchise.

That is to say, this was about Porter Jr. being unhappy with how the Steelers treated him, not just about a new deal.

From day one, Porter Jr. has been open about playing out his contract year. Dallas made the trade believing he was comfortable doing exactly that without an extension.

Pulling a stunt like this also wouldn’t make sense for him. The league would never look at him the same way, and Pittsburgh already has a cautionary tale in Le’Veon Bell. Even if Porter Jr. secured an accrued season (the main difference from Bell’s situation), who would pay him after he pulled that on both the Steelers and the Cowboys? No one.

If you ask me, this is a fan theory that some media members and content creators took way too seriously. Porter Jr.’s father, former Steelers standout Joey Porter Sr., has been showing off his Cowboys gear on social media and attending games to support his son. That doesn’t sound like a family plotting an exit.

I don’t view this as an issue. One caveat, though: if Porter Jr. doesn’t play against the Packers, I’ll understand where the worry is coming from.