Jerry Jones has owned the Dallas Cowboys since 1989, and during that time, he’s become one of the most recognizable and influential figures in professional sports.
While he’s often a lightning rod for criticism, especially from fans frustrated by a lack of recent Super Bowl titles, a deeper look at Jones’ tenure reveals why he remains one of the NFL’s most effective and impactful owners.
A Winning Franchise by the Numbers
Since Jerry Jones took over the Cowboys in 1989, Jerry Jones has overseen a team that has consistently competed at a high level.
Under his ownership, the Cowboys have won three Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX), made seven NFC Championship Game appearances, and built an overall regular-season winning percentage of .550 as of the 2024 season.
To put that in perspective, here’s how the Cowboys’ winning percentage compares to other prominent NFL franchises during that same timeframe (1989-2024):
- New England Patriots – .620
- Pittsburgh Steelers – .602
- Green Bay Packers – .594
- Dallas Cowboys – .550
- Philadelphia Eagles – .544
- San Francisco – .538
- Kansas City Chiefs – .527
- New York Giants – .503
While the Cowboys haven’t returned to the Super Bowl since the 1995 season, they’ve won more regular-season games than most teams over the past 35 years, consistently staying in the top third of the league in performance.
That level of sustained competitiveness, especially in a league built for parity, is a credit to the stability and investment that Jones brings to the franchise.
Building a Global Brand
One of Jerry Jones’ most notable accomplishments is transforming the Cowboys into a global sports brand.
When he bought the team in 1989 for $140 million, it was already a respected franchise, but Jones elevated it to an entirely different level.
Today, the Cowboys are worth an estimated $10.1 billion, making them the most valuable sports franchise in the world.
Much of that value comes from Jones’ forward-thinking approach to business, including:
- Building AT&T Stadium, a $1.3 billion venue that redefined what a football stadium could be.
- Pioneering massive TV contracts and in-stadium sponsorships that changed how the NFL does business.
- Expanding the team’s international appeal through strategic branding and merchandising.
Jones didn’t just make the Cowboys more profitable—he helped shape the modern economic model of the NFL.
Loyalty and a Player-First Culture
Another underappreciated aspect of Jones’ leadership is the way he supports his players.
He is known for being loyal and compassionate, often standing by players through injuries, personal struggles, or off-field controversies.
The player-first mentality has helped create a positive locker room culture that resonates with veterans and rookies alike.
That loyalty and stability extend to the front office, where Jones has built a consistent football operation alongside his son, Stephen Jones, and VP of Player Personnel Will McClay.
While critics have long questioned Jerry’s dual role as owner and general manager, this structure has brought stability and clarity, a quality that many other franchises struggle to maintain.
A Lasting Impact on the League
Beyond the Cowboys, Jerry Jones has left an indelible mark on the entire NFL.
He played a crucial role in reshaping league revenue by advocating for team-controlled marketing rights, revolutionizing the sponsorship model, and helping push the league toward more lucrative TV and media deals.
Jones was also instrumental in the creation of the NFL Network, the relocation of teams to new markets (such as the Rams and Raiders), and other strategic decisions that have skyrocketed the league’s overall value.
Not a Traditional Owner
While Jerry Jones may not fit the mold of a traditional team owner, he has redefined what success looks like in professional football.
With a .550 winning percentage, three Super Bowls, and the most valuable franchise in the NFL under his belt, Jones has built a legacy of excellence, innovation, and influence.
In a league where teams rise and fall quickly, the Cowboys have remained relevant, competitive, and globally iconic, largely because of Jerry Jones.
Whether you love him or hate him, it’s clear: Jerry Jones is one of the greatest owners the NFL has ever seen.
I largely agree.
However, Jerrah’s ego rules over his “GM” skills. One too many times he’s made bone-head decisions to the Cowboys detriment.
The worst being the trade with the Rams passing on Steven Jackson. That really hurt.
As well as basically giving Cooper away.
And firing Jimmy Johnson as well.
He should stick to marketing the team, and let Will McClay be the GM.
I somewhat agree with your comment, but you can’t blame Jerry for Jimmy leaving, it has been said that Jerry fired Jimmy, but Jimmy came out and said that him and Jerry mutually agreed to part ways!! And then Jimmy said he planned on leaving all along anyways, he even had it marked on his calendar what day he was gonna leave, he said he just ended up leaving a couple months sooner than he planned!! So Jimmy was leaving anyways!!
And I didn’t like it when Cooper got traded for next to nothing either, but it had to be done, cause we needed the cap room!! That’s why we didn’t get much in return, cause the browns agreed to take on Coopers contract!! If we would’ve kept most of Coopers contract like it would’ve been in any normal trade, we would’ve gotten better draft capital, but this trade was all about getting rid of Coopers contract, and that’s why we didn’t get much in return!!
And as far as Steven Jackson goes, I don’t remember what happened in that situation, so I can’t say anything about it!! But your 2 other things I think I cleared up to make more sense and should be enough to show that Jerry really ain’t that bad!! But if you wanna throw blame at somebody for the problems we’ve been having, then you can throw that blame at Stephen Jones!! We didn’t start having the problems until he got more control over the team!! If I’m not mistaken, he started doing more after the 95 season when he got mad at Jerry for signing Deion Sanders!! We won the Super Bowl that year and after that, everything went down hill!! So it makes sense that Stephen is the problem!!
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s YES! Jerry Jones is destroying the Cowboys after he fired Jimmy Johnson Jerry Jones is a terrible senile, idiot as a owner and G.M. and all the sports media groups are know better both are very delusional
It sounds like you are the delusional one!! Like always, you have no idea what your talking about!! Jerry didn’t fire Jimmy Johnson, they agreed to part ways mutually!! But even if they didn’t, Jimmy has already said hundreds of times that he planned on leaving anyways, he just left a couple months sooner than he planned!! He had the date marked on his calendar for when he was gonna leave and everything, so no matter what, Jimmy was gonna be gone!! Like I said, you have no idea what your talking about!! You just come on here and make comments that you hear other people talk say and don’t take the time to find out if what you heard is true or not!! I’ve said it idk how many times before, and I’ll say it again, Jerry isn’t the problem, it’s his son Stephen!! In case you haven’t noticed, Jerry has 3 Super Bowl rings on his hand, he didn’t have a problem signing players we needed, and we didn’t have a problem getting to the Super Bowl or to the championship game until Stephen got more control over the team!! That’s when everything went down hill!! So, again, Jerry is not the problem, it’s Stephen!!
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since 70’s O.K. so when Jimmy Johnson left the Cowboys went down hill the talent leave went down and the Cowboys haven’t gone to the super bowl and don’t mention Berry Switzer that was Jimmy Johnson’s team that won the Cowboys last super bowl