Owner and general manager Jerry Jones is facing a fresh wave of criticism after telling the Wall Street Journal that his top priority is drilling for gas, not correcting the defensive failings of his Dallas Cowboys team.
“There’s $100 billion present value with gas out there,” Jones said. “That’s why I’m talking to you on the telephone rather than trying to fix our defense with the Dallas Cowboys.”
For a franchise once defined by dominance under Jones‘s dual leadership, three Super Bowl wins in the early 1990s among them, the latest disclosure raises uncomfortable questions about where his focus lies.
The Cowboys, currently battling one of the worst defenses in the NFL, now find themselves grappling with a public statement that appears to shift the narrative away from football operations.
The investment and the fallout
Jones has invested more than $1 billion in Comstock Resources, a natural-gas drilling company working in East Texas, and averages now suggest he controls about 71% of that firm.
Against the backdrop of a sagging team defense, ranked near the bottom in yards allowed, points allowed, and touchdowns surrendered, Jones‘s own words triggered an avalanche of fan and media backlash.
Players inside the building weren’t oblivious to the tension. Quarterback Dak Prescott called the remarks “definitely frustrating.”
“I don’t know the full context of it. I do know a piece of it,” he said regarding Jones‘ comments.
At the same time Prescott added that Jones has “never really lied about who he is or what he’s trying to do. Hopefully he was talking about in that one particular moment,” saying that Jones has always been transparent with his words in his view.
Calls for a new Cowboys general manager
The fact that the owner and general manager publicly admitted his attention is diverted has amplified calls for structural change in Dallas’s front office.
Some voices are now arguing that Jones should step back from daily football decisions and install a dedicated general manager.
The Cowboys are the most valuable franchise in the league at roughly $13 billion, but for many, it seems that Jones sees the energy sector as the bigger game, and the football club as a by-product.
For now, Jerry Jones is doubling down on risk and reward off the field, and taking heat for what critics say is failing to keep his own team competitive on it.
As the trade deadline approaches and defensive weaknesses mount, the Cowboys‘ ability to salvage their season may hinge on whether the organization reasserts its focus on football or continues down the path of energy expansion.
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