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Jerry Jones: Drama by design, not by accident


It’s the start of preseason, and the Dallas Cowboys' best player isn’t happy.

Now here's a riddle for you: Are we talking about 2025? Or 2019? Maybe 1993?

The answer is: all of the above. Because this isn’t a seasonal hiccup or some unexpected conflict—it’s just another chapter in the ongoing soap opera that is the Jerry Jones-era Cowboys.

If you’ve followed the NFL for more than a minute, you’ve probably asked yourself at least once: How do the Cowboys manage to hijack every football conversation, year after year, no matter how irrelevant they become on the field? After all, this franchise hasn’t made a Super Bowl appearance—let alone won one—since the Clinton administration. Their last NFC Championship Game was in 1995. That's nearly three decades ago.

And yet, they’re always right there, at the center of the NFL conversation. Whether it's predicting contenders, analyzing offseason winners and losers, or simply bickering over “America’s Team,” the Cowboys are unavoidable.

Compare that to the treatment of the Arizona Cardinals, or even the Chicago Bears. Those teams have suffered similarly long droughts, or worse—but we don’t hand them airtime like we do Dallas. Why the double standard?

The Cowboys’ Secret Sauce: Consistency Without Greatness

One reason the Cowboys keep showing up in the headlines is that they’re rarely bad. Since 2013, Dallas has had a winning record in seven of eleven seasons. That kind of “just good enough” performance keeps the fan base engaged and hopeful. Unlike perennial rebuilders like the New York Jets, the Cowboys are always in the mix, even if they never finish.

They’ve also had steady quarterback play for decades. From Troy Aikman to Tony Romo to Dak Prescott, Dallas hasn't really wandered the QB desert like so many teams have. Combine that with a relatively stable approach to head coaching—even when fans are clamoring for change—and you get a team that feels like a contender even when they fall short.

That illusion of competitiveness has bought them time and, more importantly, attention.

The Jones Factor: Football, Fame, and the Fortune Between

But the real reason for the Cowboys’ omnipresence? One word: Jerry.

Jerry Jones isn’t just the owner of the Cowboys—he’s the ringmaster of the biggest circus in sports. The man cares about football, sure, but he cares just as much—and arguably more—about show business.

This is a guy who:

Described Micah Parsons’ pass-rushing skills as “pure as mother’s milk.”

Compared injured reserve logistics to “circumcising a mosquito.”

Told an absurd story involving wagons, firewood, and a train to explain roster cuts.

His interviews are half press conferences, half stand-up routines. But don’t mistake his southern charm or rambling metaphors for confusion. Jones knows exactly what he’s doing.

"If we got them talking about us, we're doing our job,” he told 105.3 The Fan.

“If it gets too dull around the Dallas Cowboys, I know how to stir it up a little bit.”

In other words, drama isn’t a side effect—it’s part of the business model.

Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, “Zeke Who?” and the Drama Blueprint

This offseason, it’s Micah Parsons in the spotlight. A top-five defensive player in the league, the four-time Pro Bowler publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the Cowboys after stalled contract talks. He’s not the first to butt heads with Jerry—and he won’t be the last.

Remember when Jones dismissed Ezekiel Elliott with a cold “Zeke who?” during his contract holdout? Or when he shrugged off CeeDee Lamb’s negotiations, saying there was “no sense of urgency”? It’s all part of the game. For Jones, the public back-and-forth is part of the Cowboys’ brand identity.

Eventually, he almost always pays his stars. But not before he’s milked the story for every ounce of attention, debate, and TV segment it can provide.

And let’s be honest—we play right into it. The media eats it up. Fans argue about it. Fantasy football managers stress over it. And all the while, Jerry Jones is smiling behind the scenes, knowing that once again, everyone is talking Cowboys.

Business Over Banners

Here’s the cold truth: Jerry Jones’ number one goal isn’t winning Super Bowls—it's building and maintaining a billion-dollar empire.

The Cowboys were the first sports franchise to eclipse $10 billion in valuation, and they top every Forbes list. AT&T Stadium is more entertainment mecca than football field. Jones’ real success isn’t measured in trophies—it's in ticket sales, merchandise, brand engagement, and media dominance.

Winning games? Nice bonus.

Winning headlines? Essential strategy.

Just ask Gary Myers, who wrote an entire book ("How ‘Bout Them Cowboys?") documenting Jones' obsession with relevance. In it, Jones makes clear: building a football team is important, but building the brand is what truly matters.

So What Now?

Eventually, Jones will pay Parsons. Just like he did with Elliott. Just like he did with Lamb. He always does—after the drama. After the headlines. After the brand gets its moment in the sun.

But don’t confuse that for dysfunction. To Jerry Jones, this is the function.

So the next time the Cowboys are front and center during an otherwise quiet offseason, or another All-Pro hints at discontent, don’t ask yourself what’s wrong in Dallas. Ask instead: What would Jerry do?

The answer is always the same: Make noise. Make headlines. Make money.

The rest? Optional.

The Dallas Cowboys aren't a football team with occasional drama—they're a 24/7 reality show that happens to play football. And under Jerry Jones, that won’t change. Not in 2025. Not ever.

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