Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talks to the media before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

ESPN blasts Jerry Jones for prioritizing attention over winning

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 12:55 PM ET

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ruffled some feathers during his introductory press conference to kick off the team's 2025 stint in Oxnard, California, for training camp.

Jones took some perceived shots at several of the team's players, including star defender Micah Parsons, who is in the middle of contract negotiations, and star quarterback Dak Prescott. He also directly voiced his displeasure with All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is undeniably in the doghouse.

After the press conference, fans and media members alike were stunned by Jones' approach to the presser. But should we really be surprised?

Jerry Jones loves attention. He loves to generate headlines and be front and center in the NFL news cycle anytime he can. And because of that, he distracts from the team and doesn't always prioritize putting the best product on the field.

That led to ESPN's Kevin Clark calling out Jones on Tuesday morning's episode of First Take, ripping the Cowboys owner and general manager for liking the attention more than he likes winning.

Kevin Clark: "When I look at Jerry Jones, I think of one thing: If the football Gods came down and said, 'Jerry, you get to win the next three Super Bowls... but the catch is, you can't do a press conference...' he looks at the football Gods and says, 'no deal.'" pic.twitter.com/sIHyIWsci8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 22, 2025

Clark said, "When I look at Jerry Jones, I think of one thing: If the football Gods came down and said, 'Jerry, you get to win the next three Super Bowls... but the catch is, you can't do a press conference...' he looks at the football Gods and says, 'no deal.'"

Ouch. Sadly, he's not wrong.

Jerry Jones is up to his old tricks once again by dragging his feet with the Parsons negotiations and making things more difficult than they need to be. But, hey, the team stays in the headlines.

Let's hope that Jerry Jones was just playing it up for the cameras to generate buzz for training camp and that a deal will get done sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, history indicates this wasn't just a stunt, but the way Jerry truly feels.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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