Terrell Owens has represented five NFL franchises throughout his decorated career. The six-time Pro Bowler has plenty of highs to look back on in his career, but he isn’t keen on revisiting his Dallas Cowboys days. And he definitely has nothing to say about Jerry Jones.
Terrell Owens Takes Aim at Cowboys Legacy With Blunt Verdict
“I couldn’t care less about Jerry [Jones] and what he’s doing,” Owens said flatly. He didn’t stop there either.
“I don’t concern myself with the Cowboys. The Cowboys haven’t concerned themselves with me since I left there. That’s speaking of Jerry Jones or anybody really from that organization.”
So no, there won’t be any reconciliation. Not anytime soon.
“No, not necessarily,” Owens said when asked about patching things up. “I couldn’t care less what’s going on with Jerry and the Cowboys. The way things ended there, I couldn’t care less. I have nothing to say about them.”
To understand how things got here, you have to go back a bit. Owens was already a certified superstar by the time he landed in Dallas in 2006.
He’d spent eight dominant years in San Francisco. He had his wild run in Philadelphia, too. And yes, he once disrespected the Cowboys’ midfield logo. So signing with Dallas was already a strange twist.
But on the field? He delivered. Owens racked up 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns across three seasons with the Cowboys. That’s elite production from a guy already in his mid-30s. No one could question his commitment to performing.
Off the field, though, things unraveled fast. Owens reportedly spearheaded a meeting with then-offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to voice frustrations over Tony Romo forcing the ball to Jason Witten.
The fallout was brutal. Just one year after signing a three-year, $27 million extension, Owens was cut. Head coach Bill Parcells reportedly hated the signing from the start. When it ended the way it did, most observers put it squarely in Jones’ pile of bad decisions.
The tension flared up again more recently over Owens’ Hall of Fame induction. After years of being snubbed, he finally got the call in 2018.
His response was unconventional, to say the least. Instead of giving his acceptance speech in Canton, Ohio, he chose to deliver it at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
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Jones had thoughts on that. “I had one of the great experiences that ever happened to me last year,” the Cowboys owner said in 2018. “He [Owens] did not ask my advice. Had he asked my advice or had I been compelled to, I would have shared with him that this is a mistake. For (his) own reasons, but more importantly because the fans should participate. I didn’t give him that advice and consequentially you see where he’s going, but he is making a mistake. That’s his decision. Terrell, as you know, has a mind of his own.”
Owens wasn’t having it and responded to Jones on X (formerly Twitter).
“Jerry ‘made a mistake’ of releasing me after listening to others when I produced, gave my ALL, sacrificed my health for the team but who am I?!” Owens wrote. “But hey I thought Jerry had a mind of his own too. #GOFIGURE What I’m doing is for the FANS. #THISISFORYOU”
The Hall of Fame confirmed that Owens would not appear at either the Gold Jacket Dinner or the induction ceremony. His jacket was mailed to him instead. It was unprecedented for any living inductee.
Whatever you think of how it all played out, the numbers speak for themselves. Fifteen seasons. 1,078 catches. 15,934 yards. 153 receiving touchdowns. One of the greatest receivers to ever play the game.
But, he just won’t be making peace with Jones anytime soon.
