Jerry Jones has apologized to the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Dallas Cowboys made a draft night trade that changed the board just before Pittsburgh was due to pick.
The controversy centered on USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, who had been linked with the Steelers at No. 21 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But Dallas, sitting at No. 20 after previously acquiring the pick from the Green Bay Packers, traded down with the Philadelphia Eagles.
That allowed the Eagles to jump in and select Lemon, leaving the Steelers to move in another direction with offensive tackle Max Iheanachor.
Jerry Jones says Cowboys had no bad intentions
Jones pushed back on the idea that the Cowboys were trying to damage the Steelers‘ draft plans.
Instead, he argued that Dallas made the move because the trade gave the franchise extra value and helped its own roster needs.
“I don’t want to get on their bad side,” Jerry said. “I’m sorry if they’re mad. But, boy, I’ll tell you what, we’ve had it happen to us a bunch of times. It traded right out from under us. That’s why we (traded) those (fifth-round picks to move up to get Caleb Downs).”
The Cowboys moved from No. 20 to No. 23 and added extra fourth round capital in the process.
At No. 23, Dallas selected edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, addressing a defense that had been a major concern.
Steelers try to move past Makai Lemon miss
For the Steelers, missing out on Lemon was a clear frustration because the receiver could have added another explosive option to an offense already featuring D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr..
Still, general manager Omar Khan avoided turning the situation into a public feud.
“When the draft happens, there’s a lot of excitement that goes on,” Khan said. “There was no ill intent when we made the call. As I mentioned, we have a good process, and you trust your board. The draft throws curveballs at you in every round, trust me. Things sort of take care of themselves.”
The moment will still be remembered as one of the most dramatic turns of the 2026 draft.
For Jones, it was business. For the Steelers, it was a missed target. For the Eagles, it was a chance to land the player they wanted.
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