Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responds to Troy Aikman's criticism: ‘He would do it exactly like I do’
Jerry Jones is aware of how the last quarterback who won him a Super Bowl views his management of the Cowboys.
Troy Aikman, FOX’s lead NFL color analyst, has recently reiterated his interest in running an NFL team as a general manager. But he said recently he wouldn’t want to be general manager for an owner like Jones, whom Aikman deemed “real stubborn and steadfast that he’s the one in charge.”
The Cowboys owner and general manager understands that, he said Tuesday morning. But Jones guessed if Aikman were in a position of power similar to him, the former passer wouldn’t run a team any differently if he had the chance.
“Now I would wager that if he [gave everything] to buy the team, he would do it exactly like I do it,” Jones told Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “I would wager that. Because you just want to, ultimately, with that much on the line and that much at stake, you want to break any ties and make the calls.”
Jones praised the investment Aikman made in the Cowboys, from when the team drafted him first overall in 1989 to his retirement after the 2000 season. Aikman, now a Hall of Famer, led the Cowboys to three Super Bowls in four years.
“He emptied the bucket just like I did to become a Cowboy,” Jones said.
But should Aikman invest as an owner rather than player, Jones thinks the longtime broadcaster would follow his lead. That doesn’t mean operating without a team of advisers. Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones and vice president of player personnel Will McClay are among club members who work closely with Jerry Jones to build and manage the Cowboys roster. But Jerry Jones is intent on having the final say for decisions.
“It’s a misnomer to think I just throw darts and just say, ‘We’ll do it this way, that way,’” Jones said. “I’ve never done that. But as I’ve said many times, I’ve never not made the ultimate decision.
“Knowing [Aikman], I know how he was attentive to [then-Cowboys offensive coordinator] Norv Turner, I know how he had deference to many people to get better. He would be a great listener, or a great acceptance of direction and advice. Hopefully I have that as well.”
Aikman has delivered sharp critiques of the Cowboys in recent weeks, particularly as the Cowboys lost three straight, including a 31-24 Dec. 5 game at Chicago. Aikman was on the Fox broadcast for the Chicago game and this week’s 44-21 win over the Rams. Jason Garrett is in the final year of his contract coaching for the Cowboys. Aikman, whom Garrett backed up as Cowboys quarterback in the 1990s, has said Jones puts Garrett in poor situations by holding onto too much authority.
“I always believe everything starts at the top,” Aikman said earlier this month on Dallas radio station 96.7 KTCK The Ticket. “That’s not to say everything is the fault of the top, but that’s where it begins. … Coaching obviously hasn’t been great at times in certain situations, players haven’t played great. But the front office hasn’t been great in allowing the head coach to do his job either.”
Players lauded Garrett’s coaching leading up to the Rams win, Dallas’ first this season against an opponent with a winning record. Linebacker Sean Lee and quarterback Dak Prescott raved about Garrett’s Saturday night hype speech to the team. Jones said Garrett deserved the credit for a well-coached win, reiterating that he will not assess who’s coaching the Cowboys in 2020 until season’s end.
He has the leeway to delay the decision as team owner and general manager.
He imagines Aikman would do the same.
“Listen I’ve had a lot of lunch and a lot of great times with Troy,” Jones said. “He’s someone that I can’t tell you how much I respect him and how much I appreciate his lineage with the Dallas Cowboys. Apart from these kinds of issues, we’ve had business together. So we’re doing fine.
“I know this: He certainly would like to be, it sounds like, he’d like to be involved in the long-term involvement in a team, maybe the Cowboys. I understand that. Can you think of anybody…who would understand that more than me? I did everything and anything I could to get to live the life I live and that’s to be involved in everything from socks to jocks, that there is with the Dallas Cowboys.
“That’s the way it is.”
Follow Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein.