Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Jerry Jones pulled stunt to put Cowboys in Christmas spirit; his team returned favor against Commanders

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 26, 2025 8:10 AM ET

Before the Dallas Cowboys' Christmas game against the Washington Commanders, owner Jerry Jones pulled a stunt to put his team in the holiday spirit.

During a pregame interview with KRLD-FM in Dallas, Jones revealed he masqueraded as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and handed out presents to players at the team's hotel.

"I know [this] team got so much out of it. I'll never forget it," Jones said, chuckling, via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "A lot of fun."

Jones' team then gave him his Christmas present: a 30-23 win over the Commanders.

Cowboys' victory over Commanders should only increase Jerry Jones' Christmas spirit

The Cowboys didn't play their best game against the Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. They led 21-3 midway through the second quarter after quarterback Dak Prescott launched an 86-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver KaVontae Turpin. Dallas, however, let up after that, allowing Washington to outscore it 20-9 for the remainder of the game.

DAK PRESCOTT 86 YARDS TO KAVONTAE TURPIN pic.twitter.com/nrOsxEVpGf
— PFF (@PFF) December 25, 2025

Prescott, who earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod on Tuesday, didn't look as sharp as he has throughout most of the season, either. The QB finished 19-of-37 passing for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He also took six sacks for a loss of 38 yards.

But Dallas' performance against Washington wasn't a complete lump of coal. The Cowboys amassed a season-high 480 yards of offense and went 6-of-6 on fourth-down conversions.

The Cowboys are now 7-8-1, but their record no longer matters at this point in the season. Dallas has already been eliminated from the postseason for a second straight season. But the team can still use the victory over Washington to keep building momentum heading into a critical offseason.

The Cowboys have won four of their last seven games, including upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 at home in Week 12. The team's recent improvement has former Dallas running back Emmitt Smith feeling optimistic about the 2026 season.

"For the first time in a long time, for me, I feel like we're heading in the right direction," the Pro Football Hall of Famer said during an in-game interview, per Machota.

The Cowboys have plenty of work to do to rebound next season. But for now, Jones and company should enjoy the win over the Commanders. It provides Dallas with even more holiday cheer.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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