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‘I Use Media…All The Time’ – Jerry Jones’ Only Trade Deadline Criterion

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Mohammad Asif Ansari | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 12:52 PM ET

At the Dallas Cowboys’ Valley Ranch this week, there is a deep atmosphere of unease, where the team is going through a major defensive crisis and the heat of the upcoming NFL trade deadline.

During this period, Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones has raised the team’s alert status, signaling that he is ready to make a deal that can support them in this Super Bowl race.

For now, the biggest concern is about star cornerback Trevon Diggs’ health.

Jerry Jones’ Trade Deadline Criterion

On Thursday, Jones appeared on the 105.3 The Fan podcast and described Diggs’s condition for the upcoming match against the Denver Broncos as “questionable this week real questionable”.

Just a few hours later, Vice President Stephen Jones gave a more discouraging forecast, saying that Diggs and safety Donovan Wilson, both on Sunday, “are not going to be able to go.” Without those two, the Cowboys allowed Bo Nix to pass for 247 yards and four touchdowns in the 20-point loss at Denver.

This crisis is not limited to just a one-week absence.

Stephen Jones confirmed that the club was actively examining whether Diggs, who is going through “several things going on” and “pertaining to past injuries”, might need to be sent to injured reserve (IR).

However, the management declines to assess whether the young star has played his last game this year, taking the matter “week to week”.

This serious weakness in the defensive backfield – where there are already major injuries at safety and the corner situations have become “unknown” – has further intensified the trade buzz that has been going on for years, as a result of which the Cowboys are searching across the league for an impact player who can strengthen the secondary.

This defensive urgency matches perfectly with Jones’s high-stakes management style; Jones even maintains that he does not gamble in ordinary card games.

Because his everyday decisions – whether about a player or about drilling an oil well – are in themselves a very big gamble.

Jones stated clearly that his sole criterion for adding personnel at the deadline is: the belief that the current roster “has a chance to be in competition and so under that criteria, and that’s a good way, and that’s all the reason in the world to have your alert sign up,” he said. “So, in that case, I do have my eyes open and interest level up.” [Timestamp – 9:10]

This belief that the team can contend for the Super Bowl has prompted him to conduct aggressive scouting, and Stephen Jones confirmed that there is an “urgency to always improve our roster” in the organization and that if the “right opportunity presents itself,” they will be “eager to pull the trigger”.

The search for a difference-maker is extremely broad and open-ended; although defense is the first priority, the club is in search of an impact player at “any spot”.

When it comes to acquiring talent, the brass keeps an eye on both types of acquisitions: those players whose contracts are expiring, and those who will remain under long-term control for a long time.

But How Does a Veteran Gambler Like Jones Handle These Negotiations?

Jones, who likes trade deadline chatter because “any time that you can add an element of what goes on to ultimately score a touchdown, win a game, or a championship, any and all part of that, I thought, not to all fans, but to a lot of fans, can be interesting and entertaining,” believes in an old-school leverage game.

He avoids picking up the phone first, believing that doing so loses leverage.

Instead, the savvy owner presented a masterclass in modern manipulation:

“I use media to express an interest all the time, and so, and that’s not uncommon, and very effective, because don’t think I don’t listen to that radio, and don’t think I don’t look at that newspaper, and so if somebody’s talking it up, uh, we’re talking to each other, you know, the old adage driving along and not saying one word, but look over and there’s a little frown, you’re talking to me baby, and I hear you loud and clear, not a word being said.” [Timestamp – 13:15]

This back-channel maneuvering confirms that trade talks increase even more when the Cowboys are with their opponents.

However, the official acquisition process is managed very strictly; it starts with the pro department’s Alex Lumis, then reaches Will McClay and Stephen Jones, and when the deal is truly closed, Jerry and coach Schottenheimer are included.

The trade window is closing rapidly, and the injury crisis around Trevon Diggs has further increased the internal push so that a rumor can be turned into a game-changing reality.

The Cowboys are currently operating under Super Bowl criteria, and if any premier player is available, no effort will be spared to acquire them.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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