Why did the Steelers trade Joey Porter Jr.?

After a few passive-aggressive weeks for everyone involved, star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is no longer a Pittsburgh Steeler. In fact, in a curious twist, his back injury seems to have magically healed after he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. Hmm. Funny how that works at the most convenient time.

As the Steelers play their first game without Porter on their roster against the Cleveland Browns tonight, you're probably wondering how we got here. After all, as an organization, the Steelers are not usually ones to let young, talented players just entering their prime go, even if it means they're getting decent draft capital in return. If anything, the Steelers have historically been about retaining players who could be considered part of their core at all costs.