Jerry Jones didn’t talk to reporters after Sunday’s 30-27 loss to the Panthers. For any other NFL owner, that wouldn’t be worth mentioning. But Jones isn’t any other owner.
He’s the only owner and general manager in the league who makes himself available to the media after virtually every game. According to All City DLLS’s Clarence Hill, Jones skipped his usual postgame session without explanation.
Jerry Jones is not talking today after the game
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 12, 2025
Maybe the timing is a coincidence, maybe it isn’t.
Dallas just gave up 239 total yards to Rico Dowdle, a running back the Cowboys chose not to re-sign in the offseason. The defense ranks 32nd in the NFL and has surrendered 360 rushing yards on 60 carries over the past two weeks.
Those are questions Jones would’ve been forced to answer.
Jones has spent several decades building a reputation as the most accessible owner in professional sports. He makes weekly appearances on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, holds his annual bus meeting with reporters at the NFL Combine, and rarely passes up a chance to share his thoughts on the state of the Cowboys.
Last October, Jones called those weekly radio hits a “privilege” and compared them to Peloton, saying they offer fans “inside stuff” they can’t get elsewhere. That comment came during the same interview where he threatened host Shan Shariff’s job for asking about Dallas’s lackluster offseason.
“I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions,” Jones told Shariff. “I’m not kidding.”
That exchange showed how Jones views media availability. It’s not about accountability. It’s about controlling the narrative and keeping the Cowboys in headlines, win or lose.
Earlier this year, Jones also canceled his annual combine meeting with reporters in Indianapolis, citing team meetings. That marked another rare break from his usual media routine after a season where he replaced Mike McCarthy with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, the same coordinator Jones had publicly criticized.
Jones thrives on being the main character. When Dallas wins, he’s there to take credit. When they lose, he’s usually still there, spinning failures into future opportunities or defending decisions that look increasingly questionable.
But Sunday was different. After watching a former player dominate the league’s worst defense, Jones apparently decided no explanation was better than trying to defend what happened.
Whether Jones returns to his usual media routine this week remains to be seen. Given his track record, he’ll likely be back on the radio soon enough, ready to explain why things aren’t as bad as they look.
But for at least one Sunday, even Jerry Jones recognized that silence was the better option.