Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks on during an NFL game.
When it comes to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, he knows his team’s success hinges on big-money players delivering on their salary.
It’s why the team has committed to key pieces like quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. That being said, paying huge dollars to individual players comes with its own issues.
Unsurprisingly, Jones named that issue during a recent interview. But what was surprising was that Jones specifically credited Prescott’s huge four-year, $160 million contract extension (Spotrac) in 2021 as a reason why Dallas hasn’t been able to spend more money elsewhere recently.
“The more you pay the quarterback, the teams that pay the big ticket on the quarterback, they have to sacrifice other places,” Jones said on September 2 to 105.3 The Fan, per USA Today’s Jori Epstein. “The facts are there’s no free lunch. Every dollar you spend on a player is a dollar you can’t spend someplace else.”
It’s a bit of a “common sense” statement from Jones. But the Cowboys owner is still outright naming his quarterback’s contract as a reason why they haven’t been able to make improvements on the roster.
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Dak Gets Big Contract, Sets Personal Bests
The noise and conversation around Prescott are always loud, as the quarterback’s career stats are impressive but his “clutch” success in the postseason and in big-time games has been lacking.
That being said, Prescott did hit new personal heights in the first year after his big deal, according to Pro Football Reference. While he didn’t meet his 2019 passing yards total of 4909, he did eclipse his previous record for passing touchdowns in a season with 37.
Further, his 68.8% completion percentage was the best of his career. He had more passing attempts and completions than any year before, completing 410 of 596 attempts.
The postseason factor still remained an issue in 2021, as Dallas failed to win a playoff game after taking the NFC East division title. The 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round saw Dak play below his standard numbers, completing 23 of 43 passes for 254 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Cowboys Owner Wants It All
Playing well in the regular season but failing to get over the hump in the postseason is a trend for Dallas, and Jones is clearly not satisfied with that. High-powered, fun offenses are great during the regular season, but hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is all that matters to Jones.
“No one would deny that I’m a risk-taker,” he said. “No one. I take risk and I do it every day in my life. And so, there is a proper time to take some risk,” Jones said to 105.3 The Fan. “We have taken them and we will take them… I hope that some of the risk I take in the future … will result in a change from where we’ve been: and that’s not getting to the Super Bowl. But I do that every day in my life.”
What those “risks” look like is unclear, but the trading of star wide receiver Amari Cooper could be considered an example.
However, Jones talking about the limitations of Prescott’s contract and taking risks in the same interview does create an interesting outlook on the 2022 season.