Cowboys' Jerry Jones Ripped by NFL Agent; 'I Think the Game Has Passed Him By'

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is one of the most iconic figures in NFL history, but there is a feeling among some within the league that he's past his prime.

In an survey of player agents about the state of the NFL conducted by The Athletic's Ben Standig, one agent speaking about Jones believes "the game has passed him by."

"I don't think they want to win above all," the agent said when ranking the Cowboys as the most unstable franchise in the league. "Jerry (Jones) wants to turn profits and make headlines."

This offseason, in particular, has led to a lot of criticism about how Jones is running things.

After a monthslong standoff with star receiver CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys gave in by agreeing to a four-year, $136 million extension on Monday. The deal came not long after the two sides were having a public back and forth about the state of negotiations.

While the Cowboys were able to get the deal with Lamb done, Dak Prescott is still awaiting an extension. The star quarterback has tremendous leverage over the team because the last deal he signed in March 2021 included a no-tag clause as a result of their inability to get a long-term contract done before his original rookie contract.

When Jones was recently questioned by Clarence Hill Jr. of AllDLLs.com about potentially hiring a proper general manager instead of doing the job himself, he has pushed back in profane fashion:

"I've done it all. So I have an ordinate amount of confidence that f--k, if anybody can figure out how to get this s--t done, I can figure out how to get it done. I've been there every which way from Sunday, and have I busted my ass a bunch, a bunch. And there's nobody living that's out cutting and shooting that can't give you a bunch of times they busted their ass. So hell no, there's nobody that could f--king come in here and do all the contracts … and be a GM any better than I can. Plus, I'm where the buck stops. When it f--ks up, I got to cover it. And so there you can't give anybody enough. Can't give. There's nobody can do it."

It's fair to to say that Jones would have final say even with a proper general manager because he owns the team, but there's nothing wrong with getting another perspective in the building instead of one built primarily around his immediate family.

At the very least, a general manager could act as an intermediary between Jones and players when negotiations get tense.

Of course, this assumes that Jones has an issue not being the go-to source for all things Cowboys. He will turn 82 on Oct. 13, but he's still not the oldest team owner in the NFL. Chicago Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey turned 101 on Jan. 5.

McCaskey isn't running day-to-day operations for the Bears because they have an infrastructure to handle all of the things an NFL team needs. Her son, George McCaskey, serves as chairman. Kevin Warren is team president and CEO, with Ryan Poles serving as general manager.

Jones can argue that the Cowboys have been one of the NFL's best teams as he's kept getting older. Their 36 regular-season wins since 2021 are the second-most in the league, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs (37).

Playoff success has been more elusive for the organization with a 1-3 record in postseason games over the past three seasons.