Jerry Jones shares candid reasoning behind insistence on being Cowboys GM: 'I like the pain'

Under constant Micah Parsons contract bombardment, Jerry Jones is no stranger to the chaos. In addition to owning the team, Jones is also the Cowboys' general manager, a role that intensified since his famous breakup with Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson following the Cowboys' successful title defense 31 years ago. 

"I'm often asked the question, why don't I hire a general manager," Jones said in the new Netflix documentary on the Cowboys, via The Athletic. "I've had people that have said, 'Jerry, you subject yourself to so much criticism. You need a buffer.' I don't like it like that, I like the pain." 

Jones must have a high pain tolerance. Dallas hasn't appeared in a conference title game since its last Super Bowl win in January of 1996. The team's 29-year drought without a conference title game appearance is the third-longest in the NFL and the longest in the NFC. 

Given his previous experience -- Jones built his fortune in the gas and oil industry after playing college football at Arkansas -- the fact that the Cowboys have been more often than not fielded competitive teams under Jones is an accomplishment. Jones did not devote his life's work to football until his mid-40s, when he purchased the Cowboys for $140 million. The franchise is now valued at a whopping $12.8 billion.

That being said, the Cowboys' success is measured on championships, not division titles and playoff appearances. That's why, despite the success the Cowboys have had under Jones since Johnson left town, Jones' insistence to continue to the Dallas' GM has drawn criticism. 

The question came up again late in the 2024 season, when Jones' team was finishing a disappointing 7-10 season. Once again, Jones made it clear that he wasn't relinquishing his title as GM anytime soon. 

"No. Just, no," Jones said. "I bought the team, I think the first thing to come out of my mouth … somebody asked, 'Did you buy this for your kids?' I said, 'Hell no. I bought it for me.' And I didn't buy an investment. I bought an occupation, and I bought something I was going to do.

"I was 46 (years old). I bought something I was going to do for the rest of my life. That's what I'm doing. So, no. The facts are, since I have to decide where the money is spent, then you might as well cut all of the bull—- out. That's who's making the call anyways."