Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Dallas Cowboys Awaiting NFL Decision Over Aaron Jones Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 14, 2025 9:39 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings face off in a primetime showdown on “Sunday Night Football.” Dak Prescott and Co. are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive against Aaron Jones and the rest of the Vikings in a home game at AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys entered this game with just an 8% chance of securing a playoff berth. All hope is not lost for Dallas, though, and this team will continue to fight until the end. A loss against Minnesota on Sunday, however, could potentially spell the end of the line for the Cowboys.

An incident in the second quarter led to a penalty against Dallas. Jones was on the receiving end of an illegal tackle, and the NFL will now review the sequence for potential punishment.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) was involved in an incident against the Dallas Cowboys.Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

It was Cowboys second-year cornerback Reddy Steward who was called for a violation in the first half. Jones took an 18-yard gain before Steward brought him down with what was deemed by the referees as an illegal horse-collar tackle. It resulted in a 15-yard penalty against Dallas.

The Vikings took advantage of the 33-yard total gain by scoring a touchdown in the ensuing play. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy found WR Jailen Nailor for a 20-yard touchdown. Minnesota tied the game at 7-7 after the extra point.

According to the NFL rulebook, players are not allowed to “grab the inside collar of the back or the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, or grab the jersey at the name plate or above, and pull the runner toward the ground.” Violations of this rule will be flagged for a horse-collar tackle. It is penalized with a loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.

A horse-collar tackle is eligible for a fine of $17,389 for a first offense and $23,186 for a second. The silver lining for Steward is that he has not yet been fined in his career. He will need to wait for the NFL’s decision on this incident, which will be announced via the gameday accountability report on Saturday.

As of writing, the Cowboys and the Vikings are tied at 14-14 with two and a half minutes remaining in the opening half.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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