Mike McCarthy doesn't know whether the Joey Porter Jr. trade affected the team

The Steelers traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys less than 24 hours before their Week 4 game at Cleveland. After the 27-24 loss, coach Mike McCarthy was asked whether the timing of the move had a negative impact on the team.

"You know, I mean, that's really, you know, a question that's really specific to individuals, and I can't really speak on every individual," McCarthy said. "You know, the timing was, you know, was the night before a game, and, you know, I'm sure that's what the guys woke up to but, yeah, I mean, it's part of our business."

Earlier in the press conference, McCarthy revisited the intersection between business and football, as it played out throughout the Porter saga.

"You never hope business, you know, gets in the way of your preparation and playing, but, you know, it's the modern NFL," McCarthy said. "You know, it was a situation where, you know, it's been going on for some time. As an organization, we felt like this was the best thing for us and, you know, we wish Joey well, and, you know, I never really got a chance to coach Joey, but, you know, obviously, did some, you know, did some great things here, and we wish him the best in Dallas."

McCarthy added that there "was definitely a point" where he "definitely thought it was a possibility" that Porter would play for the Steelers against the Browns.

"We had a rep count in mind," McCarthy said, "so that's what we were working towards."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also got a question about the timing of the Porter trade and the potential impact on the team.

"You gotta ask the defensive guys," Rodgers said. "They're probably around him more often but, you know, I thought Joey might play this week, based on his practice stuff but, you know, we wish Joey well."

One defensive player wasn't surprised by the move. At the outset of the Thursday night broadcast, Kaylee Hartung said linebacker Patrick Queen knew that, when Porter didn't get on the bus with the team to Cleveland, "he wouldn't be in Pittsburgh when they came back."

Porter is now in Dallas. And it appears that he will indeed make his 2026 debut on Sunday, when the Cowboys face the Texans.