The clue that Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys obviously missed when it comes to where Rashan Gary stands in the NFL these days might have come in the fact that the Packers were, just before the opening of business in the league back in March, prepared to cut Gary outright and make him a free agent. Even with Micah Parsons sidelined in Green Bay, the Packers could not justify carrying the cap hit for Gary, who had not had a sack in 2025 once Parsons suffered his season-ending knee injury.
But the Cowboys shrugged that off and, in the wake of missing out on a Maxx Crosby trade, gave up a fourth-round pick and settled for Gary. It’s a significant drop-off from Crosby to Gary and, this season, the Cowboys’ struggles in their pash rush have reflected that. Gary has one sack and 11 pressures in seven starts, and has struggled against the run. At Pro Football Focus, he has a 37.6 run defense grade, which is the worst in the league among 113 graded pass rushers.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones: Rashan Gary ‘Is an Outstanding Football Player’
On Friday, in an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, team owner Jerry Jones was asked about Gary, and suggested that the struggles are not on Gary, but on the fact that the Cowboys defense has had so much upheaval and is trying to pull itself together.
Said Jones: “He is part of a new group. I probably underestimated the challenge of coming in and changing out the coaches, changing out 60, 70% of the personnel, and a new scheme and how maybe even some new technique, all of those generally contribute to playing. Because he is an outstanding football player.”
Except that the Packers clearly did not think so. They wanted to get off his money (four years and $96 million, signed in 2023), and when the Cowboys brought Gary in, they cut his payout to $32 million over two years. After the Crosby miss, the Cowboys went cheap at a premium position, and they’re getting what they paid for.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Defends Struggling $32 Million Starter