Jerry Jones’ Comments May Constitute NFL Tampering

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted on a local radio station that he has attempted to lure successful coaches away from their current teams, a statement that may constitute tampering under NFL rules.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on November 3, 2026, Jones pushed back against criticism that he is unwilling to pay top dollar for a head coach. In doing so, he said, I have been trying to lure very successful coaches away from the teams they were on and knew full well that I was going to pay them for their success.

The NFL’s anti-tampering policy prohibits a team from discussing employment with a coach under contract with another organization. Jones’s admission, unless referring to college or high school coaches, appears to violate this rule.

Jones’s Defense and the Salary Context

The owner’s comments came amid criticism of the Cowboys’ coaching budget and the performance of current head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer is believed to earn between $4.5 million and $8 million annually, a salary that places him well outside the top 15 highest-paid coaches in the league. In contrast, coaches like Andy Reid, John Harbaugh, and Sean Payton are reportedly earning around $20 million, $20 million, and $18 million per year, respectively.

On the same radio show, Jones dismissed any link between a high salary and on-field success. There is zero correlation between how much you pay a coach or how many coaches you have as to winning, he said. There is no correlation. And that’s a random sample of years and all 32 teams involved. So put that in your hopper and smoke it.

McCarthy, who led the Cowboys to three straight 12-win seasons from 2021 to 2023, saw his contract expire in January 2025 when the two sides failed to reach a new agreement. McCarthy now coaches the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were 6-2 after Week 8.

Cowboys Lose Historic Home Lead

The debate over coaching salaries comes as the Cowboys begin the 2026 season with a 3-5 record. Their recent 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals on November 1 was particularly painful, marking the first time in franchise history that Dallas lost at home after blowing a 14-point lead in the final quarter.

The team’s defense is also facing scrutiny, ranking last on PFN’s Defense Impact Metric with a grade of 60.6 heading into Week 9.

On social media, one fan wrote, Wells don’t win you a championship Jerr, while another added, So you can do it but you choose not to because you’re stupid. Got it. Another fan characterized the situation as Wild levels of incompetence in Dallas. Hall of Famer Cris Carter also weighed in, suggesting Jones’s ego is the issue. He thinks that he’s the best football man in the building, and that he can basically win with anyone, Carter said on Inside Football. He further noted that first-time head coaches like Ben Johnson and Liam Coen are making significantly more than Schottenheimer.

Jones’s Financial Comparisons

To defend his willingness to spend, Jones offered an unusual comparison involving his oil business. I drill wells. I have five wells going right now that cost more than any coach to drill the wells, he explained.

Despite these claims, Jones has consistently been reluctant to meet the market rate for elite coaching talent. According to NFL Jane Slater, Jones wasn’t willing to offer $13 million or more, which is reportedly the starting point for many of the league’s top candidates.

The Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl since 1995, a drought that has spanned seven head coaches, including Schottenheimer, who has a 10-14-1 record since taking over in 2025.