The Dallas Cowboys ruled out new cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for their Thursday Night Football clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The Cowboys acquired Porter from the Pittsburgh Steelers just last week and the 26-year-old was expected to start opposite DaRon Bland at corner.

However, it emerged just hours before kickoff in Dallas that Porter would not be available for the matchup. 

Porter was ruled out for the Week 5 game with an unspecified illness in a significant blow for the Cowboys, who are looking to improve to 3-2. 

The decision was announced about 90 minutes before kickoff and 10 minutes before inactives were due. 

It later emerged that the team had sent Porter home after he arrived at the facility ‘very sick,’ according to Jane Slater. 

The Dallas Cowboys ruled out new cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for their Thursday night clash

The Cowboys acquired the 26-year-old cornerback from the Pittsburgh Steelers last week

NFL insider Mike Garafolo further reported that Porter had been vomiting and was not in fit condition to suit up on Thursday.

Dallas traded for Porter last week amid his growing dissatisfaction with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Pittsburgh received two draft picks from Dallas, a sixth-rounder in 2027 and a second-rounder in 2028 in exchange for Porter.

Porter was inactive for the first three games of this season for the Steelers. The fourth-year pro was dealing with a back issue and had also been in the middle of a stalemate with the Steelers over a new contract.

Porter, a second-round pick out of Penn State in the 2023 NFL Draft, was seeking an extension as he entered the final year of his four-year rookie deal.

Porter played 24 snaps on his Dallas debut on  Sunday with the Cowboys winning against the Houston Texans despite only practicing three days with the team. 

Without Porter, the Cowboys likely will have to start 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.