ARLINGTON, Texas -- Joey Porter Jr.'s home debut for the Dallas Cowboys will have to wait.
Porter was ruled out of Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of an illness, with the team announcing the decision roughly 1 hour, 45 minutes before the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. Porter arrived at the stadium before getting examined and being ruled out.
Joey Porter Jr. is at AT&T Stadium for his first game as a Cowboy. https://t.co/ekCsZEir5C
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) October 8, 2026
He later left the stadium.
The Cowboys went on to lose, 24-16.
"Unique thing, came to the stadium and he wasn't feeling very well," coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the game. "The trainers came to us, said it got significantly worse after they treated him. He just wasn't feeling good. And the decision was made that he wasn't going to be able to play as he was very, very sick."
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, Porter played 24 snaps in Sunday's win against the Houston Texans despite only practicing three days. The Cowboys had two brief workouts this week with the quick turnaround in facing the Bucs.
Without Porter, the Cowboys started second-year cornerback Shavon Revel, who has been dealing with knee and ankle issues he suffered in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro. Reddy Steward was activated from the practice squad for the third straight game, and the Cowboys also had Ameer Speed and Caelen Carson active.
Week 1 starter Cobie Durant missed his third consecutive game with a hamstring strain but could return in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers.
In order for the Cowboys to give up their 2027 sixth-round pick as part of the Steelers trade, Porter needs to be active for two games. That at least extends to next week due to his illness.