Jerry Jones doubles down on making massive gas deal over fixing issues with Cowboys; Prescott, Aikman respond

With the NFL trade deadline approaching, Dallas Cowboys fans are hoping for defensive upgrades that could keep them in the playoff race. Meanwhile, owner and general manager Jerry Jones is trying to strike natural gas deals instead, and he isn't about to make any apologies for giving so much attention to his other business ventures.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal earlier this week, Jones was discussing investments in natural gas when he brought up his flailing defense in Dallas.

"There's $100 billion present value with gas out there," Jones told the WSJ. "That's why I'm talking to you on the telephone rather than trying to fix our defense with the Dallas Cowboys."

Naturally, that comment didn't sit well with Cowboys fans, who have watched their defense surrender 31.3 points and 404.6 yards per game, both of which rank 31st in the league. In his Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones addressed that quote in the Wall Street Journal, and he doubled down.

While Jones said he understood the fans' reaction to his remarks, he pointed to his history of pursuing other business ventures in addition to serving as the Cowboys' general manager. Jones suggested that the success of those other ventures will eventually benefit the football team.

Biggest need for all 32 NFL teams ahead of the trade deadline: Packers, Cowboys may be looking for DB help

Josh Edwards

"This is called professional football, to make a point," Jones said. "That means it takes money to make it all go. Anytime that I'm doing anything that's away from looking at a specific player and how he's playing defense, it has to do with the latter. That latter ultimately leads to the betterment of the Cowboys. Me sitting here talking on the phone with you, the visits I'm having with the fans through you, that'll help score touchdowns.

"It ultimately involves in a way that makes it doable. In the real world, Santa Claus does not put the tricycle under the Christmas tree. We all know that. You have to have juice to make it go. I've always combined and have never been abashed about it since the day I walked in."

There may be some truth in Jones' perspective. Building a Super Bowl champion can be expensive, but Jones has yet to make any big investments in a Cowboys defense that has been floundering while the offense operates at a high level. In fact, it was just a couple months ago that Jones traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers because he didn't want to shell out for a lucrative contract extension.

Prescott and Aikman understand fans' concerns

Since Jones' original comments appeared in the Wall Street Journal, one current and one former Cowboys quarterback have voiced their thoughts. Dak Prescott and Troy Aikman both admitted it would be frustrating to hear that for a fan base that yearns for a true contender.

During his Thursday media availability, Prescott admitted he wasn't sure of the "full context" surrounding Jones' quote about the natural gas investment. Still, he acknowledged it would be a tough pill for fans to swallow, and Prescott said he hoped Jones was only referring to a brief moment in time.

"But being a fan, and you read that, of course," Prescott said. "As many fans do, and I'm thankful that they do, live and breathe by this team. They feel like their jobs are putting all their effort into this. Yeah, that can definitely be frustrating.

"In that sense, I would just say the guy has never lied about who he is or what he's trying to do. I think right there, hopefully he was just talking about that one particular moment. Maybe in those five minutes is what he was alluding to and having a $100 billion opportunity. I think you may take five minutes as well and go take a call. Hopefully that's what he means. I can see how it could be frustrating."

Likewise, Aikman joined 1310 The Ticket and shared Prescott's sentiments. Aikman said that quote, while not "surprising," gives fans reason to question how much Jones cares about putting a winning product on the field.

"It's been going on for a while," Aikman said. "It is what it is. As the title general manager of the football team, I don't know that Jerry does what most general managers do. I think most general managers are traveling around to games, watching players. They're certainly not doing oil and gas deals or sponsorship deals or things of that nature.

"That's not news to anyone listening to this. It's unorthodox. It's not the way it's done. I think there are other people who handle more of the GM duties than what he does. I'm sure it's a comment he would like to have back because it doesn't reflect well on his commitment to the football team."