The Dallas Cowboys traded for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on Wednesday night, and the question now is whether he plays Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Based on the latest intel, and given how banged up the Dallas defense is right now, the answer might be simple. The Cowboys might not have a choice. Let’s break it down.

What we know about Joey Porter Jr.’s availability

Clarence Hill of DLLS Sports shared an encouraging update on the new Cowboys cornerback on Wednesday night. 

“Per source, Joey Porter will be able to play as soon as Sunday against the Texans, ‘as long as the back feels good,” Hill wrote on social media. 

That back is the key detail. The feeling around the league is that Porter Jr. was using his back injury as an excuse not to play in the middle of a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Something Cowboys fans should be familiar with from the Micah Parsons saga last year. 

If you ask me, that changes the conversation. My two cents? The “back injury” is not going to keep Porter Jr. from playing Sunday.

The bigger question is the learning curve and ramp up period. The former Steeler wasn’t labeled as a full participant during any real practice in Pittsburgh, and he missed the first three games of the season. Porter Jr. arrives in Dallas on Thursday, which leaves him with two practices at most, Thursday and Friday, before kickoff. Do the Cowboys feel like that’s enough to throw him onto the field?

And how much does that hold the scheme back? He won’t know all the calls. He won’t know defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s system right away.

That being said, there’s a workaround. The Cowboys could simply run a simpler scheme with better players on the field. Particularly with a man coverage specialist like Porter Jr. Maybe he can follow Texans WR Nico Collins around? Sometimes talent matters more than having the full playbook installed.

Why the Cowboys might not have a choice

This is where the “they might not have a choice” part comes into play.

The Cowboys are really thin at cornerback. Week 1 starter Cobie Durant already missed Week 3, and he’s set to miss a few more weeks per head coach Brian Schottenheimer. 

Then there’s cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., who spoke with reporters Wednesday and admitted he’s not 100%, per Calvin Watkins from Dallas Morning News. He was a limited participant in practice. 

If Revel can’t go, Dallas is left with very little on the outside. And if it comes down to a decision between a hobbled Revel and a standout newcomer who doesn’t know the playbook yet, I’m not sure which way the Cowboys lean.

Nico Collins raises the stakes for Dallas

The timing couldn’t be worse for a depleted secondary.

Houston gets top receiver Nico Collins back from injury. When Collins was on the field in Week 1, the Texans put up 30 points on the Buffalo Bills. That is to say, this offense looks like a different unit with him in the lineup.

The Cowboys need a playable cornerback on the outside against Collins, and that could be Porter Jr. Maybe the scheme gets held back a little bit. But maybe Dallas leans more on man coverage, which would let Porter Jr. play to his strengths without needing every check and rotation memorized.

To be fair, there’s still plenty we don’t know. How his back responds to practice, how quickly he picks up the terminology, and how comfortable the coaching staff is with him in a major role are all open questions.

For now, it seems like Porter Jr. will be ready to go based on Hill’s reporting. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will speak with reporters at some point Thursday, and we’ll probably get a more detailed update there.