Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is facing fresh retirement rumours after his team’s frustrating Thursday night loss against Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Videos circulating online show the 83-year-old leaving his suite before the game ended.
The Cowboys fell to an 0-4 opponent led by an undrafted rookie quarterback, which the fans described as a disappointing start to a season in which Dallas had hoped to contend.
Post the Cowboys' loss, several posts on X questioned whether Jones should step down as the franchise’s general manager. However, there is no indication that Jones plans to resign, and he has repeatedly said he intends to remain in charge for as long as he is able.
Thursday loss sparks calls for change
The Cowboys’ latest defeat triggered an immediate backlash online and rumors around Jerry Jones's retirement.
{{/usCountry}}The Cowboys’ latest defeat triggered an immediate backlash online and rumors around Jerry Jones's retirement.
{{/usCountry}}One widely shared video showed Jones getting up and leaving his suite after Tampa Bay running back “Bucky Irving picked up the game-clinching first down.”
Some other viral posts jokes about his stance and wrote, “Jerry Jones hasn’t been this mad since Brown v. Board of education.” The video showed Jones visibly frustrated with the gameplay and slapping his hand on the table.
Several fans argued that the franchise needed sweeping changes in the front office.
One X user questioned, “If you’re Jerry Jones, what do you do from here?” while calling the Cowboys’ start to the season “such a disappointment.”
To that another user replied, “f I was Jerry Jones I would step down as GM, make my idiot son sign a contract requiring him to stay out of football operations, hire a real GM, and let him do the work.”
What Jerry Jones has actually said about stepping down
Jones addressed the question of succession earlier this year in an interview with The Athletic.
The Cowboys owner said he does not have a formal succession plan for the franchise. “I don’t have a succession plan, I don’t,” Jones had said. “One day I just won’t be here to toss my two cents in.”
The longtime owner also made it clear that he intends to continue leading the Cowboys until he no longer can.
Jones purchased the Cowboys for $140 million in 1989 and transformed the franchise into one of the world’s most valuable sports teams. Under his ownership, Dallas won three Super Bowls during the 1990s but has not returned to the championship game since.