Not all Jerry Jones radio interviews are the same. Some are more entertaining than others. Tuesday morning’s weekly session on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas ended with an interesting story about Jones eating raccoons and squirrels. But in regards to the Dallas Cowboys, here are a few noteworthy highlights first.
• Jones is clearly impressed by the job head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer have done as the team has won three of its last four. Despite the season being a disappointment, Jones seems focused on the job the two veteran coaches have done in keeping the team playing hard and winning games despite their injury situation. “I give them both high grades this year,” Jones said. As unlikely as it might have seemed a few weeks ago, it continues to be possible that both are back next season.
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• While discussing the possibility of the upcoming offseason being like this year’s, where there was very little action by the Cowboys, Jones immediately pointed to Dak Prescott’s contract. Prescott is the NFL’s highest-paid player, but Jones said it’s similar for every team that has made a significant investment at QB. He believes that limits what a team can do in March. He also mentioned having no regrets about getting massive deals done with Prescott and star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Now, many point to the ability to maneuver cap space by restructuring contracts like Prescott’s and Lamb’s. The Cowboys have frequently done this in the past with their highest-paid players. What are Jones’ thoughts on that strategy of flipping switches?
“I agree,” Jones said of that idea. “But you got a limit as to the availability of the cap (in the future) when you flip those switches. … You make your choices. It’s a different (cap) management when you got the higher-priced player at quarterback.”
• Jones was asked about eating raccoon because it was recently mentioned by Carolina Panthers WR Xavier Legette. “I’ve eaten a lot of raccoon,” Jones responded. “The answer is yes. … It’s not uncommon at all. One of my favorites is squirrel. It’s wonderful. We all had our favorite pieces. … My mom and I would even ask for the brain of the squirrel. Delicious. Seriously.”
Micah Parsons’ future
Both Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones have said several times over the past year that they have no interest in trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons. But an NFL Network report over the weekend stated that Dallas has not ruled out that possibility in the offseason. It’s likely that Parsons will eventually receive a contract that makes him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have both repeated this week on The Fan that there is no question about having Parsons in Dallas beyond his current rookie deal.
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“We see Micah as a Cowboy for (the) long term,” Stephen Jones said Monday. “We’ve said all along our goal was to sign all three (Prescott, Lamb and Parsons), and that’s still our goal.”
When told of that NFL Network report, which included quotes from Stephen Jones, Jerry Jones said Tuesday that Stephen would never say there was any question about Parsons’ future because “that’s never been uttered in this organization that we don’t have a future with Micah Parsons.”
Parsons shared his thoughts on his latest podcast, saying, “We’re gonna figure out a way for me to be a Cowboy for life.”
Parsons also added in the clip below that he thinks Dallas will be more active in the offseason than the previous one.
Micah Parsons responds to latest trade rumors:
‘We’re gonna figure out a way for me to be a Cowboy for life.’
(via The Edge with Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/wCjxrA49dj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 16, 2024
Still in attendance
Players who suffer season-ending injuries rarely travel with the team on the road. Dak Prescott is one of the exceptions. Although the Cowboys’ franchise QB is out for the year after having season-ending hamstring surgery last month, he was in attendance for Sunday’s game at Carolina. Prescott has also attended all of the Cowboys’ home games since sustaining the injury in Atlanta on Nov. 3.
“Dak is one of your leaders of the football team, face of the franchise,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s always a benefit to have Dak around the football team. I think it speaks volumes about him. He’s still in it. He’s here every day. He has his things that he has to work on as far as the rehab part of it, but he’s still in the quarterback meetings. He’s still in the team meetings. He’s still part of it.”
(Photo of Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)
