Jalen Ramsey on Joey Porter Jr.: Unfortunate it didn't work out, but I'm happy for him

Published October 2, 2026 10:15 AM After a long, drawn out negotiation, the Steelers dealt cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys on Wednesday night. Porter’s now-former teammate Jalen Ramsey went through a similar situation with the Jaguars back in 2019, which ended with him being traded to the Rams. After Thursday night’s loss to the Rams, Ramsey told reporters that he felt like a big brother to Porter and wanted him to be a valued, important part of the Steelers going forward.“It is very unfortunate that it didn’t work out,” Ramsey said, via Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show. “But at the same time, I am happy for him. I am happy that he is getting a fresh start. I wish him all the success in his NFL future. I think he is a stud, I really do. I think he is a top-five guy. People argue that he’s top 10, but I really think Joey is a good player, I really do.”Ramsey also referenced his own story and compared it to Porter.“It happens, and everybody moves on,” Ramsey said. “For me, I’ve been through it before. I was Joey before at one point. When I was 24, I was Joey. A little different; our situations were a little bit different. The exit was similar, potentially. It is what it is. I treat it as part of the NFL business. We held hope as long as we could that things would get done, but that’s part of it. That’s business. Guys have to do what’s best for them because the NFL is not for long. You have to do what is best for you, and you can’t be mad at a man wanting to do that.”