The mask is off: Jerry Jones finally admits how the Cowboys really run behind closed doors.QQ
Dallas Cowboys fans are losing sleep over the team’s underwhelming defense that has largely contributed to a 3-4-1 record in the 2025 NFL season. Owner Jerry Jones? Not so much.
I don’t blame him. Jones, after all, has more important business to tend to. The Wall Street Journal published an article on the Cowboys owner’s investment on Comstock Resources, an energy company involved in natural gas and oil.
Read More
Per the article, Jones has invested over $1 billion into the publicly traded company with the hopes of finding some of the “hottest, deepest wells in the U.S.” Within hours of publication, the article sparked strong reactions from Cowboys Nation.
You see, Jones’ investment in the company has been known about for years. The most cynical fans speculate about how the Cowboys fit into the Jones’ finances and vice versa. But it was a specific quote to the WSJ that is angering the fanbase.
Jones suggests fixing Cowboys defense isn’t his priority
“There’s $100 billion present value with gas out there,” Jones told The WSJ. “That’s why I’m talking to you on the telephone rather than trying to fix the Dallas Cowboys defense.”
Oof. Again, I don’t blame Jones for prioritizing his most lucrative business. That’s one thing. The problem, however, is that the quote does nothing to appease those who blame Jones for treating his NFL team like a toy or a time-consuming hobby. That’s where you can blame him. Do you think other NFL general managers are treating the football teams like an asid midseason and joking about it?
The Joneses often say talent acquisition is a 365-day a year ordeal. But on one of the year’s most important windows for talent acquisition—the NFL trade deadline—Jones is dropping a quote that makes it painfully clear where his priorities are. If you can’t be bothered with the biggest team for your NFL team in Week 9, hire a general manager and give up the title. Stick to being an owner.
And yes, it’s true. We don’t even know how much time the interview took. Who knows how much of Jones’ time actually goes into his business with Comstock Resources versus the Cowboys? But it’s the combination of Jones’ words with his actions that really sting.
For years, the Cowboys have been one of the most passive teams in free agency. They’re known to be a draft and develop team while limiting themselves to signing free agents that are at a discount. They’ve refused to fire coaches mid-contract—allowing Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy to coach out their deals a combined three times—probably because such deals are fully guaranteed. It’s far from an aggressive front office, often citing salary cap constraints as a reason for their conservative approach.
Meanwhile, NFL teams like the Philadelphia Eagles continue to push the limits of the cap with risks to build winning teams. The same day the WSJ article was published, the Detroit Lions agreed to a long-term extension with DE Aidan Hutchinson. As Dave Birkett pointed out on social media, the news meant the “Lions have committed nearly a billion dollars – $968.5 million to be exact – to sign nine cornerstone players to contract extensions.”
The people running the Cowboys have different $1 billion concerns. Unfortunately, despite the Jones’ yearly comments about badly wanting to win a Super Bowl are difficult to believe. They may prefer to win. But is this the front office that will lose sleep over winning games to the point of spending big and taking major risks?
Unless the NFL replaces the Lombardi Trophy with the coordinates to hot and deep oil wells, the answer is no.
