Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ stagnancy regarding the contract extensions of three of their star players has infuriated fans and pundits alike. And Jones’ latest comments on not having a sense of “urgency” about CeeDee Lamb’s contract only added fuel to the fire. The outspoken Pro Football Talk journalist Mike Florio was especially not happy with these developments.
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Not mincing words, Florio asserted that the Cowboys are “cheap, shortsighted, and not as smart as they think they are” when it comes to paying their young stars, during a segment on NFL on ESPN. More controversially, he suggested that owner Jerry Jones “doesn’t really care about winning a Super Bowl.”
For Florio, Jones’ priority isn’t lifting the Lombardi Trophy. Instead, he believes the focus is on maintaining the Cowboys’ status as the most popular franchise in American sports. This strategy seems to be working, as the team retains its “America’s Team” moniker despite not reaching an NFC Championship game since 1995.
The analyst even highlighted a striking statistic: in the NFL’s first 30 years, the Cowboys played in 16 Super Bowls. In the 28 years since they’ve made zero appearances. Yet, networks still clamor to cover Dallas extensively, both during the season and offseason.
Florio’s takeaway? Jerry Jones is a master at keeping the Cowboys in the spotlight and understanding the value of drama and intrigue in the NFL landscape, and that’s what his “urgency” statement on Lamb’s extension was all about.
Jones’ comments on Lamb’s contract just PR?
The NFL analyst believes Jerry Jones’ recent comments about CeeDee Lamb’s contract extension are all part of the Cowboys owner’s playbook. He suggests that the dust-up at Cowboys camp following Jones’ remarks was a calculated move to dominate the news cycle.
With the preseason kicking off, Jones seized the moment to thrust Dallas into the headlines.
“Don’t you think Jerry Jones knew exactly what he was doing? Arch rival in the division, Patriots, the team that should have taken the mantle of America’s team, they’re playing preseason games and Jerry takes it all over by saying I have no urgency to get CeeDee Lamb’s contract done.”
Florio didn’t hold back in his characterization of Jones, calling him “a carnival barker, a huckster, a snake oil salesman.” In Florio’s view, Jones believes that all publicity is good publicity.
Moreover, the strategy seems to be working. Cowboys fans are now deeply concerned about the controversy, and even quarterback Dak Prescott fueled the headlines, saying, “I know y’all want to ask, I got urgency for it to happen.”
Now, all eyes are on Dallas to see how they navigate this latest drama. They are in the spotlight, for better or for worse, as they face crucial decisions about retaining top talent.
