Dallas Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stephen Jones gaslights Cowboys fan base over confusing negotiation tactics

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 8:00 AM ET

For the second year in a row, the Dallas Cowboys are dealing with a prolonged contract negotiation with a star player.

In 2024, they allowed several quarterbacks and wide receivers to sign deals while Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb saw their market value increase, and negotiations went down to the wire.

They finally signed both players right before the regular season, but this was after Lamb held out throughout the offseason.

They also used the media to apply pressure on both players, something that Lamb said was "not fun." That's continued this offseason with Jerry Jones using the media to throw jabs at Micah Parsons, who is trying to secure his extension.

Jones threw an unnecessary shot Parsons' way when he pointed out he missed time due to an ankle injury in 2024. He also commented on Parsons being away from practice, saying that he's getting paid to watch.

Now, the team's chief operating officer is getting in on the fun. Stephen Jones was asked about the way Dallas uses the media and why they wait so long to sign their best players. Jones took the gaslighting approach, saying he didn't see a pattern. He also subtly pointed the finger at the players, saying, "Sometimes players and agents aren't ready to pull the trigger until they see other cards played."

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan on how they handle their top players' contract negotiations: "I don't think there is a pattern here."

On if the Cowboys drag out deals to get engagement from the media: "We don't agree on that. We don't drag deals out. We do deals when…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 29, 2025

This aligns with an earlier comment from Jones, who stated that they want to pay Parsons, but he has to "want to be paid."

As for Jones' claim that there's no pattern, that's just false.

They have been dragging out their top-dollar deals since 2017 with DeMarcus Lawrence, who nearly left the team over his prolonged negotiations.

They also forced Prescott to play on the franchise tag in 2020 before tagging him again in 2021. They eventually paid him, but it took longer than necessary. If that's not a pattern, I don't know what is.

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

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