Jerry Jones Urged to Flush $376M Cowboys Investment After CeeDee Lamb’s Reality Check

You don’t see a lot of owner/GMs in the NFL anymore. In fact, Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is the only one right now. That’s not without reason; the NFL is big on what passes for accountability in these circles. In other words, if you’re not winning, we’re not keeping you around. Hence the common joke that NFL stands for “Not For Long,” referring to player and coach tenure.
It’s on the owner to fire a coach or GM who’s just not up to the task, but Jerry Jones can’t quite do that. For one thing, he’d have to pay out another salary, and we know how much he hates that. But also, the man’s convinced nobody else has it in them to lead the Dallas Cowboys the way he does. Well, he’s got some tough calls to make if he wants to live up to the title.
With Dak Prescott out, what’s Jerry Jones’ next step?
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Well, the Cowboys were already struggling, and now Dak Prescott‘s suffered a hamstring injury that’ll have him out for the rest of the season. Will the misery ever end? Michelle Smallmon, host of Unsportsmanlike Radio, has painted this as an opportunity. Jerry Jones pinned all his hopes on the Dak Prescott-CeeDee Lamb duo, shelling a combined $376M for their contracts. I don’t know if you can tell by now, but that’s not worked out for the Cowboys. With Prescott out of the picture, the Cowboys will necessarily have to look at things with fresh eyes.
Accepting that the season’s a wash and that they’ll have to prep for the next one isn’t easy. But at 3-6, with the performances they’ve been having, there’s no other realistic choice. Both backup QBs they’ve got (Cooper Rush and Trey Lance) have minimal experience too. Lance played his first game since 2022 yesterday, and both he and Rush failed to impress. The Cowboys had 45 yards from Rush and 21 from Lance in their blowout loss to the Eagles. That paints a picture of a team overreliant on Prescott, though CeeDee Lamb did have a word or two to say about the stadium itself.
Even leaving beside offense for a minute, the Cowboys have done terribly on defense. Their defense is ranked 26th in terms of yards allowed per game, and the 348 yards they allowed the Eagles is actually lower than their average of 364.8. Of course, injuries have a part to play in that Micah Parsons had been out of the game for a while. But still, their overall rushing defense in particular has left much wanting. So with their offence so shaky, and their defense ranking among the worst, a from-the-ground buildup next season seems to be the answer, no?
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How exactly do the Cowboys rebuild?
There is one upside to all the losses the Cowboys have been stacking up. Yep, a higher draft pick in 2025, and they’ll really need it. As things stand right now, they’re projected to get 11th pick, though obviously that could fluctuate by the end of the season. In the 1st and 2nd positions would sit the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets, who’ve had absolutely terrible seasons.
Prescott’s locked in for another 4 years, ditto Lamb. They’re not shaking them anytime soon. But a backup quarterback is still a must, given how Rush and Lance have performed. Why not look at home, to Dallas native Shedeur Sanders, now playing for the Colorado Buffaloes? He’s had nearly 13,000 yards across 45 games, at a completion rate near 70%. Add to that 134 touchdowns (passing+rushing combined) and his figures are nothing to scoff at.
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And then they’ll be needing a running back, options galore for that. There might be merit in picking a running back like Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, if nobody beats them to the punch. Jeanty’s been the best runner in college football this year, though, so there’s a chance someone else’ll snap him up. In that case, they might get value out of a running back like Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, an agile player on the field with a killer sprint.
But that’s neglecting their defense. But defensive players just aren’t flashy enough, especially when your general manager’s a man like Jerry Jones. It’s in his hands to put together a team that’s worth a damn next year. Let’s hope he can manage it.