Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks on before the game against the Baltimore Ravens. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jerry Jones explains why Dallas Cowboys have never hired a real GM

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI | By Tyler Reed | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 3:10 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for the NFL opening game this Thursday when the team will meet longtime NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys may be headline news this week, but the franchise has also had a stranglehold on the headlines all summer long.

From trading their best defensive player to becoming a new Netflix documentary, it's easy to see how this team is "America's Team."

The Netflix documentary has been a smash hit. It follows owner Jerry Jones and his team through some of the most dominant times in franchise history.

During an episode of the documentary, Jones reveals a bizarre revelation as to why he has never hired a general manager for the franchise. The answer is simple: he likes the pain.

Jerry Jones in Netflix’s “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys” on why he doesn’t hire a GM: “I like the pain.” pic.twitter.com/KgD9L0hDbE
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 19, 2025

"I don't like it like that. I like the pain," Jones said when talking about the difficulties of being the general manager and owner of the franchise.

There's no question he likes the pain. Jones always finds himself in the middle of a long battle when it comes to getting a new deal done with his top stars.

But this season, Jones brought back a little of the so-called "Gambler" that many people believed he used to be. Maybe the documentary brought the fire back for the Cowboys owner.