It has been a relatively active offseason for owner Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. After a disappointing 2025 campaign, which saw the club miss the postseason altogether, the Cowboys’ front office has been looking to reshape both their offense and defense ahead of the new year.
All that being said, Jerry has not reflected on the team’s performance last season with the most rose-colored glasses.
Jerry Jones Drops Harsh Message About Team’s Defense in 2025
For better or worse, the outspoken Jones has never been one to sugarcoat his words, especially when it comes to talking about disappointment. This was the case yet again when he was asked about the team’s offseason so far, not wasting the opportunity to call out the Cowboys’ struggles on defense last year.
In an interview shared on the team’s official YouTube channel, Jerry Jones took shots at the team’s defensive performances last season. While he would eventually open up about the team’s struggles, Jerry seemed rather positive about where the team stands right now.
“What we’ve done on defense, plus what we have set up for the draft, plus what we have coming back from our veteran defensive players that really didn’t play that much last year, injury issues, things like that, gives us a lot of promise,” Jerry explained.
While the longtime owner shared his optimism heading into the new season, he couldn’t help but offer a very candid response to the team’s struggles on defense in 2025, making a bold claim that the team could have competed if they had stepped up.
“When you have the challenges we had last year, there’s no place to go but up on the defensive side of the ball. Had we played a lick of defense last year, we would’ve had ourselves, I think, a real playoff run,” Jones continued.
The team has been busy revamping its defense, adding the likes of Rashan Gary in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, and signing several free agents, including Otito Ogbonnia, Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, P.J. Locke, and Tyrus Wheat.
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Given Jones’ desire to contend for their first Super Bowl since 1996, it’s unlikely these will be their final moves to bolster their defense.
Jerry Jones might be known for his outspoken attitude; however, the numbers back up his disappointment: the Cowboys finished 32nd in the NFL last season, according to PFSN’s Defensive Impact rankings. There is legitimately nowhere else to go but up for the Cowboys’ defensive unit this upcoming season.
