Change rarely sits well in Dallas. The memory of Tom Landry still carries weight inside the Cowboys’ walls. Eugene Lockhart, a former linebacker from that era, recently revisited the moment that reshaped the franchise. His words reopen an old wound and point to a hard truth.
In 1989, Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys and dismissed Tom Landry after 29 seasons. The move stunned the league. Landry had won two Super Bowls and built the team into a national brand. Many former players criticized the decision at the time, calling it cold and disrespectful.
Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talks before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talks before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Lockhart, who played under Landry, now says the franchise needed a reset. Speaking in arecent appearance on the Route Tree podcast, “Yes, the game had changed. The salary caps and all those types of things, and it would have been a totally different type of team and game then.”
Jones has long defended the firing. In past interviews, hesaid, “If I don’t change, I’m not successful,” stressing that ownership required full control over football operations. The Cowboys went 3–13 in 1988, Landry’s final year. Jones believed a new structure and new leadership were essential to compete again.
Lockhart echoed that view. “Jerry Jones was right,” he said. “It hurt, but the franchise needed new energy and a new vision.” He noted that business decisions in professional sports often clash with loyalty, yet success demands risk.
Jones hired Jimmy Johnson soon after. Within four seasons, Dallas won Super Bowl XXVII. The team added another title the following year. The rapid turnaround strengthened Jones’ argument that bold action was required.
Jerry Jones admits regret over handling Tom Landry’s exit
Landry’s legacy remains secure. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and remains one of the most respected coaches in league history. His calm presence and signature fedora still define an era of Cowboys football.
Jerry Jones has publicly admitted that his handling of Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry’s firing in 1989 was one of his greatest regrets as owner of the Dallas Cowboys. While Jones maintains that the decision to change coaches was necessary for the team’s future success, he has expressed remorse over the rushed and “cold” manner in which it was executed.
Jones stated that if he could do it over, he would have waited a year before making such a drastic change to get his “feet on the ground” and show more respect to the existing staff.
In more recent reflections, Jonescalled the firing one of the “great PR missteps, maybe of all time,” noting that he still carries the weight of that decision today.
Former owner Bum Bright had offered to fire Landry himself before the sale was finalized so Jones could start with a “clean slate”. Jonesdeclined because he wanted to look Landry in the eye, a move he now views in hindsight as a mistake that contributed to the perceived insensitivity of the exit.