The Dallas Cowboys suffered a frustrating 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, but the biggest pregame shock occurred long before kickoff. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., set to make his home debut at AT&T Stadium after joining the team in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was unexpectedly scratched just minutes before inactives were announced.
Porter arrived at the venue intending to suit up, but his physical condition rapidly worsened inside the training room. Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the unusual situation during his postgame press conference, detailing how quickly the circumstances spiraled.
“Unique thing, came to the stadium and he wasn't feeling very well,” Schottenheimer said. “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.”
Article Continues Below