The Dallas Cowboys may not have to wait long to see their newest cornerback in action. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke to reporters for the first time since Dallas acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He shared a positive update ahead of Sunday’s Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans.

Schottenheimer said the Cowboys are hopeful Porter Jr. can play against the Texans.

He also liked what he saw from the cornerback in his first practice with the team, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota: “He moved around good today. It was a good start today.”

Porter Jr.’s back doesn’t look like an issue

Notably, Porter Jr. wasn’t even listed on the injury report. Earlier in the day, Clarence Hill of DLLS Sports reported that Porter Jr. practiced in pads. Hill also noted that Porter Jr. did not stretch with trainers first, unlike other injured Cowboys players.

That’s a relevant piece of information. Porter Jr. claimed to have a back injury while he was with the Steelers amid his contract dispute. Cowboys fans might be familiar with that approach from the Micah Parsons saga last year.

For now, the back does not appear to be a problem for Porter Jr.

However, I do think the Cowboys will have to be smart about how they use him. Porter Jr. hasn’t played this season, and he didn’t really practice for Pittsburgh last week or this week. He was listed as a full participant on Monday and Tuesday, but it was a short week for the Steelers (who are playing on Thursday Night Football), and they were probably gearing up to deal him away anyway.

That is to say, we haven’t seen much action from Porter Jr. this year. I’d expect some sort of ramp-up period, and Schottenheimer acknowledged the Cowboys might not play him for the entire game.

Why Dallas needs Porter Jr. right now

Here’s the thing about the Cowboys’ secondary. It’s banged up.

Shavon Revel Jr. is still dealing with the knee injury he suffered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and on Wednesday he told reporters he was not feeling 100%. After missing back-to-back practices, Revel Jr. is unlikely to play on Sunday. 

He isn’t the only one. Cornerback Cobie Durant is out for Sunday. Safety Malik Hooker is trying to make a comeback, but his status is up in the air. And safety Jalen Thompson was placed on Injured Reserve, joining fellow safety P.J. Locke.

And yet, Dallas has to face a Houston offense that is getting wide receiver Nico Collins back.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker described Porter Jr. as an eraser, someone who can take away one side of the field at boundary cornerback because he’s such a strong press coverage player. If the Cowboys want that kind of player on the field against Collins, they need Porter Jr.

So the question has shifted. It’s no longer about whether he’ll play, but how much he’ll play. If you ask me, that’s massive news for the Cowboys.

Balancing patience with urgency

Porter Jr. still has Friday’s practice to impress the coaching staff before Dallas travels to Houston. But all signs point toward him playing, so make a note of his jersey number. Porter Jr. will wear No. 25 for the Cowboys.

Sure, the Cowboys landed a top-tier cornerback who is a big candidate for a long-term contract extension next offseason. But there’s also a very clear sense of urgency. Porter Jr. needs to help as soon as possible.

The Cowboys now have to balance teaching him the scheme and protecting him from a rushed workload with getting him on the field right away. It’s a unique challenge, but that’s where Dallas finds itself after a start that has the team ranked 32nd in the NFL in EPA per play, per RBSDM.com.

For now, the news is good. We’ll see how much Porter Jr. is ready to handle on Sunday.