Every group of friends has that person that just has to win every argument, or get in the last word during each discussion.
That can be humorous in a group chat, but it can be downright frustrating when that person is the owner and general manager of your favorite football team.
If the Dallas Cowboys fan in your life is not responding to texts right now, you might want to give them some space. As the Cowboys opened up training camp on Monday, they held their annual pre-training camp press conference
featuring new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, executive vice president Stephen Jones, and, of course, Jerry Jones.
The Dallas owner made sure to get his point across.
A major storyline facing the Cowboys is the contract status of pass rusher Micah Parsons, who did report to training camp despite missing portions of the team’s mandatory offseason program. Parsons is in the final year of his rookie contract and looking for a long-term extension with the Cowboys, but a deal has not yet materialized.
While Jones was excited to see Parsons report to training camp, that excitement was tempered.
More than a bit.
Jerry Jones: "I'm appreciative of Micah [Parsons] being here."
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) July 21, 2025
But, Jones says, the Cowboys will fine Parsons for missing part of the mandatory offseason program.
Jones repeatedly stressed the importance of leadership when asked about Parsons.
Great start.
But the posturing from Jones did not stop there.
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones randomly takes a shot at Micah Parsons, saying even if they sign him, it doesn’t mean they’ll have him, because he was hurt for 6 games last year (fact check: he only missed 4).
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 21, 2025
He then also says they made Dak Prescott the richest player in football —… pic.twitter.com/g6T8FnEEOX
Playing the injury card. Masterful gambit, Mr. Jones. Reminiscent of Kyle Shanahan’s comments on mortality.
Prescott was not the only other member of the roster Jones brought up during the press conference. The owner also mentioned Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele, who signed extensions with the team earlier in their respective contract cycles than Parsons, Prescott, and CeeDee Lamb.
Jones seemed to question during the press conference whether Dallas should have made those deals.
Jerry Jones on what the difference is with Cowboys players who get deals early like Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele: Frankly... should we have waited on Diggs and Steele?
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) July 21, 2025
Let’s turn it over to our good friend RJ Ochoa from Blogging the Boys:
To be clear, Diggs and Steele have both underperformed in certain respects since signing their respective extensions with the team. But for the team’s owner, general manager, and president to imply this so publicly, and do it so matter-of-factly, was quite the choice to say the least. It hardly establishes a spirit of good will and probably (one would assume) upset Diggs or Steele, presuming they ultimately find out about it.
This is, to say the least, a unique way of doing business. Obviously the Cowboys have made that their style over the years, but this one sort of took the cake.
As you might expect, Parsons was taking notes:
*NOW* we’re talking. this is what it’s all about. pic.twitter.com/sD0zbLSO9f
— Dave Helman (@davehelman_) July 21, 2025
Perhaps this moment from the press conference sums it up best:
Reporter: Has resigning as GM ever been even a momentary consideration?
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) July 21, 2025
Jerry Jones: "Yes. Momentary."
Reporter: "How long a moment?"
Jones: "Small fractions of seconds."
Happy training camp, Cowboys fans.
