INDIANAPOLIS — Thirty years after the franchise’s last Super Bowl appearance, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones told reporters at the NFL scouting combine he feels he has let the fan base down and is prepared to change course to chase another championship. After a 7-9-1 finish in 2025, Jones said he plans a more aggressive roster strategy that will include heavier use of free agency.
Jones said the organization has historically been selective in free-agent spending but that won’t be the case going forward: “I would bet that we will spend more money in free agency than we have,” he said. To create cap room under the new $301.2 million salary cap, Jones detailed plans to restructure several key contracts. Reworking deals for quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb and left guard Tyler Smith could free roughly $66 million.
On the defensive front, Jones outlined potential restructures for defensive tackles Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa — a group that is currently scheduled to count about $63 million against the cap. He said the team could add voidable years and reshape those contracts to push money off the current cap, acknowledging this approach amounts to “borrowing some of my future.” “Expect me to go borrow some of my future,” he said.
The spending push will be driven by a desire to fix a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in yards and points allowed in 2025. Jones stressed that improving the unit will take more than a couple of additions. Christian Parker has been hired as defensive coordinator, and Jones suggested many players from last season will perform better next year given the changes.
Dallas also heads into the offseason with two first-round draft picks, and Jones did not rule out trades. He cited past aggressive moves that brought in players such as Javonte Williams and Kenny Clark in deals tied to Micah Parsons as examples of the kind of transactions he would consider. “We have the ammunition to be good at it,” he said.
At 83, Jones spoke with a mix of reflection and resolve. He made winning another Super Bowl a top priority, saying it ranks among the most important goals in his life after family. “Make no mistake about it, I don’t have a higher priority than to go and win a Super Bowl,” he said, adding that he envisions building a team capable of getting back to — and winning — the big game.
