“Why Can’t You Buy a Mansion?”: Jerry Jones Breaks Silence on Not Being “Able to Afford” Derrick Henry

Through two games as the Baltimore Ravens’ running back, Derrick Henry had yet to truly dominate. That changed on Sunday afternoon when the “King” recorded 151 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Henry, who signed with Baltimore as a free agent last offseason, expected the Cowboys to pursue him on the open market. But neither he nor his agent ever received a call from the organization.

Following Henry’s dominant showing, Dallas owner Jerry Jones was asked why he didn’t try to lure the star rusher to town. According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Jones said the decision was purely due to financial reasons, as he revealed, “We couldn’t afford Derrick Henry, he said.”

When asked why they couldn’t afford Henry, Jones added,

“I don’t know, why can’t you buy a mansion when you live in a different kind of house? We couldn’t afford it. We couldn’t make that all fit. That’s as simple as that.”

The Cowboys were embroiled in two major contract standoffs during the offseason. They eventually inked both quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to large extensions but didn’t do so until the eve of Week 1, which prevented them from being able to add other big-name players in free agency.

Jones believes his team can still turn things around

Amid a 1-2 start, people have wondered if Jones regrets not upgrading his roster at key spots. Despite witnessing back-to-back home losses, he expressed confidence in the men in his building, telling reporters he “[likes] our personnel.”

While he may expect his star players to orchestrate a postseason appearance, some of his team fans aren’t sure Dallas will earn a playoff bid. And they blame that on Jones’ passiveness in getting Prescott and Lamb extended.

The Cowboys have plenty of time to right their ship but need to find a second win to ease fan concerns. Luckily, they get to take the field as soon as possible: on week 4 Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants.