Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones often acts so uniquely that no other sports executive compares. That isn’t necessarily a good thing, as Jones has done some unorthodox things in his more than three decades of managing the Cowboys.
But on Feb. 12, NFL analyst Jeff Cavanaugh had a comparison for Jones, one that no Cowboys fan wanted to hear — Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.
How Jeff Cavanaugh Explains Comparison Between Jerry Jones, Nico Harrison
NBA fans, particularly in Dallas, have criticized Harrison since he agreed to trade Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić at the league’s trade deadline.
Not only did the Mavericks not appear to get proper compensation in return for Dončić, but Harrison admitted to not really shopping the All-Star point guard for the best deal.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported on Feb. 2 that the Mavericks offered Dončić to one other team besides the Lakers. But Harrison identified Los Angeles as the team he wanted to work with because he wanted Anthony Davis in return.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
Whatever the reason, Harrison is so unpopular in Dallas that he, according to MacMahon, is receiving death threats.
Obviously, Jones getting compared to Harrison is not exactly a compliment.
Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr. agreed with Cavanaugh that Jones is a bad general manager like Harrison. But Hill suggested comparing Jones to the Mavericks GM was a bridge too far.
“Do you think he’s going to trade his best player? He’s not Nico. There’s no Nico in Jerry,” argued Hill.
Cavanaugh conceded that Jones will not likely trade the Cowboys’ best player. But the fact that he couldn’t confidently say the Cowboys would definitely not trade their best player led him to make the Jones-Harrison comparison.
“I don’t think he’s going to trade his best player. But, I think, instead of like 100% to 0%, it’s like 93 to 7 [percent],” said Cavanaugh.
"Is Jerry Jones Nico Harrison?" – @clarencehilljr
"Yes." – @timeforjeffreyTake a listen to this wild conversation on a possible trade involving Dallas Cowboys star, Micah Parsons? 🦁@DLLS_Cowboys | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/urNlnPy6xt
— DLLS Sports (@DLLS_Sports) February 12, 2025
That best player, of course, is linebacker Micah Parsons.
Could the Cowboys Trade LB Micah Parsons?
The Cowboys signed quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to massive contract extensions last August, but they have yet to offer Parsons a new deal. Parsons will enter the 2025 campaign on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.
In each of his first four NFL seasons, Parsons has posted at least 12 sacks. He made first-team All-Pro as a rookie in 2021 and 2022. Parsons made second-team All-Pro in 2023 and has been a Pro Bowler in all four of his NFL campaigns.
Still, Cavanaugh doesn’t think there’s a consensus in the Cowboys organization on what to offer Parsons to keep him in Dallas.
“It’s not universal in the Cowboys organization that they think that Micah Parsons is a ‘Pay him the most money winning piece, gotta have him here guy.’ That is not universal inside that building,” said Cavanaugh.
However, it won’t matter if it’s universal. Jones writes the checks and makes the final decisions with the Cowboys. If he wants Parsons to keep the star on his helmet, then he will.
Despite the disappointing 2024 Cowboys season and the shocking hire of Brian Schottenheimer as head coach, Parsons is expected to remain with the Cowboys. Until Parsons signs an extension, though, Jones might need to suffer through more comparisons to arguably the most popular executive in sports.