Leave it to owner Jerry Jones to add a little spark to what had been a largely quiet offseason for the Dallas Cowboys, even while admitting he planned to do no such thing.
Jones simply can’t help himself.
Of course, things started normally at the press conference on Tuesday to open Cowboys training camp for the 2026 season in Oxnard, Calif..
Jones initially, made fun of the idea that the Cowboys had a quiet offseason, considering all the moves they made with the coaching staff, hiring nine new assistants, led by defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
And Jones, who admitted last year that when things are quiet around the Cowboys he would often do something to stir the pot, played along with the perception.
“I’ve never thought that there was anything quiet or subdued about the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said. “I’ve never thought of it that way, but I have been guilty of stirring it up. And you guys help me. And we have been a great team. I promise you that for the last 30 something years. And so that does happen and it is good. I do like the perception that we’ve had a quiet uneventful off season and let’s see how we can work in that. Perception is big. Perception is big. But what I will tell you is I don’t plan on doing anything around here for the next few days to stir anything up.”
It certainly helped that there was no contract drama with receiver George Pickens, who signed his franchise tag and joined the team for camp with no plans of a hold out.
“I personally like the fact that the perception is that it’s been a quiet, non-confrontational off season,” Jones said. “That’s good. I have really a lot of that where I live in my mind. I do, but I have some times when it’s not fun too. So all that’s good. I like the mood.”
And yet, a few minutes later when asked about Super Bowl chances, Jones bolstered quarterback Dak Prescott’s Super Bowl or bust mantra for 2026 by adding his own drama to proceedings with a promise to add a difference-making player to make it happen.
He said he feels that good about his team and their hopes of ending what is now a 31-year drought since their last Super Bowl title following the 1995 season.
“I’d give up future to add substantive to where we are today as to a player, to give you an idea about would I invest something substantive to get the right kind of deal to improve us opening day. I would,” Jones said. “I feel that good about this team this year.”
Jones then doubled down on his comments by saying he talked to a owner on Monday about making a “substantive” trade.
“I think we’ve got a chance to be worthy of spending some future if we saw an opportunity,” Jones said. “Those kinds of conversations that are ongoing…I talked about a situation yesterday with another team and another owner. Yesterday.”
Drama.
It also spawned a question about the failed trade attempt for Las Vegas Raiders defensive Maxx Crosby in March and whether it could be back in play.
Crosby was initially dealt to the Baltimore Ravens, who then backed out the deal because of injury concerns.
Jones still acknowledges that one of the key areas they could bolster a difference-making player is edge rusher/defensive end.
Listen to this exchange?
Why did you walk away from Max Crosby when it fell apart with the Ravens and not revisit that then?
“We didn’t,” Jones said.
Can you elaborate on that for me?
“No, because there’s nothing more to elaborate about, but we did not walk away,” Jones said. “That’s about all there is to say, but we understood his injury well. And so we thought he could help us then. And we’re surprised the way that was resolved. But to basically take what happened with him after he came home back to the Raiders, to inject anything about what we’re thinking or doing and because he went back to the Raiders would be a mistake.”
Vice president Stephen Jones had to chime in and let Jerry Jones know that because Crosby is still with the Raiders he is getting close to tampering by continuing the conversation.
When asked in general of Crosby was the type of difference-making player he was looking to add, Jones responded in kind.
“Let’s don’t hypothetical here…That is tampering,” Jones said. “It really is. And so we don’t want to talk like that and act like that. But that is a good example of what you can stand ready for if in fact you think the rest of your team is coming along well, then those things stay alive. It is a good indicator of how good we feel about the team, the fact that we could do things like you’re talking about right there. I’ve really got to emphasize here he is a Raider. He’s a complete Raider, a happy Raider, everything in the book. And we shouldn’t even be having this kind of discussion with him.”
Now regarding the discussions with the other owner, there is nothing imminent on the horizon, Jones said No trade is afoot for the Cowboys.
But he is ready and willing to do something to light a fire under the Cowboys’ Super Bowl chances after what has been a “quiet” offseason.
The Super Bowl is the goal.
Prescott has said as much and embodied the team’s goal by arriving to training camp with Super Bowl t-shirt on.
“That’s always been my mindset. It’s the one thing I truly love about the Cowboys organization and the fanbase is it’s that or nothing,” Prescott said recently. “As I said wherever that was, that’s what being a competitor is. If that’s not how you’re wired, if that’s not how you think, whether you’re a fan, whether you’re a player, whether you’re a coach, then I think you’re in the wrong business and honestly I don’t want you on my team. I love those expectations and they’ll always be there.”
“Dak’s feeling about it is more important than me feeling about it because Dak actually tangibly can cause his teammates to play at a higher level than I can,” Jones said. “So when Dak is that positive about it, that adds some credibility to it. I too can say that the fact that Dak is looking at what he’s looking at causes me to feel the same way. I think we’ve got a chance to really be good. I love the excitement.”
“You guys don’t expect us to be a contender in the Super Bowl,” Jones added while pointing to the media. Y’all don’t? Why would you? I like that. I do. I like that. And I like what we put together to show you that we can do it.”
He also plans to add to it, if necessary to make it happen.
Just don’t ask about Maxx Crosby.
Not yet.
So dramatic.
