Legendary Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith is not happy with the franchise’s direction, and recently, he took aim at owner Jerry Jones.
During a recent appearance on PFT Live, Smith ripped into Jones for the Cowboys’ constant failure to make a deep playoff run over the better part of the last three decades.
He particularly did not like Jones’ decision to keep Mike McCarthy as head coach.
“I was completely surprised,” said Smith. “I know how disappointed I was as a player to see that product put on the football field. It is not becoming of the Dallas Cowboys’ mystique, respect, the brand. It is not the appropriate representation of the brand itself.”
Smith is also beginning to think that Jones can no longer be taken seriously.
“You lose credibility,” Smith said. “And if you’re losing credibility, you’re losing respect. You lose respect, you have no honor. At the end of the day, I agree to some level. Things have to change. I thought the reason why I was so convinced that [McCarthy] was going to get fired because last year there was a whole lot of talk about ‘okay, this might be it. If he doesn’t perform this year, okay.’ You’re gonna accept 12 wins and the playoff berth, but you’re gonna accept the way we got kicked out of the playoffs? I mean, dominated.”
Smith was of course referring to the Cowboys’ embarrassing Wild Card Round playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers last month, where Dallas fell behind 27-0 and ultimately lost 48-32.
The Cowboys have reeled off three straight 12-win campaigns, but they still have not made it any further than the Divisional Round.
As a matter of fact, Dallas has not made it to the NFC Championship Game since January 1996. Since then, the Cowboys have won just four playoff games in total.
Smith spent 13 years in Dallas between 1990 and 2002, helping lead the team to three Super Bowl championships. That all occurred with Jones as the owner.
Apparently, Emmitt Smith no longer thinks Jerry Jones is up to the task, and he may not be alone in that line of thinking.
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