Jerry Jones has owned the Dallas Cowboys since 1989. The single transaction has become intertwined with his very identity.
Jerry Jones is the Cowboys and, for better or worse, the Cowboys are Jerry Jones.
That’s why it’s no surprise Jerry said in a recent interview with Zak Keefer of The Athletic: “I don’t have a succession plan, I don’t. One day I just won’t be here to toss my two cents in.”
It’s another example of Jerry’s legendary hyperbole. Of course he has a succession plan; the league office mandates that, each year, the owner of every team provide the name of the person who would take the reins if an owner dies or becomes incapacitated.
It’s been obvious for years that, whenever Jerry “won’t be here to toss my two cents in,” Stephen Jones will be the one running the show. And the article focuses heavily on the potential differences between Jerry and Stephen, as the person in charge of the team.
It also centers on one of the biggest disagreements they ever had, when Jerry wanted to take quarterback Johnny Manziel in round one of the 2014 draft and Stephen spearheaded an effort to take offensive lineman Zack Martin instead.
Keefer has this jarring quote from Stephen, regarding his recollection of Jerry’s reaction to the Martin selection.
“I hope you’re happy,” Stephen said, quoting Jerry. “You don’t do special things in life — I would have never bought the Dallas Cowboys — making middle-of-the-road decisions. And what you just did is down the middle. . . . You’ll never be great.”
Martin proved to be the greatest player still on the board when the Cowboys picked at No. 16. And, along with Mike Evans, Aaron Donald, and possibly Khalil Mack, Martin is one of the handful of future Hall of Famers from that draft. (Davante Adams, taken in round two, has a chance to get there, too.)
Manziel, in turn, was an all-time bust. Which should make Cowboys fans feel a little bit better about an inevitable future in which Stephen will be driving the giant bus with a blue star on each side.
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