The Cowboys finally won again on Sunday, but the drama in Dallas never stops.
Troy Aikman has not held back in his criticism of the Cowboys this season as they enter their final two games at an underachieving 7-7. It started with criticism of head coach Jason Garrett in the Cowboys’ Week 12 loss to the Patriots. Most recently, the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Cowboys pointed the finger at owner and general manager Jerry Jones, who Aikman noted has “been real stubborn and steadfast, in that he’s the one in charge.”
But Jones doesn’t think Aikman would do it all that differently.
“Now I would wager that if he [gave everything] to buy the team, he would do it exactly like I do it,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday. “I would wager that. Because you just want to, ultimately, with that much on the line and that much at stake, you want to break any ties and make the calls.
“It’s a misnomer to think I just throw darts and just say, ‘We’ll do it this way, that way.’ I’ve never done that. But as I’ve said many times, I’ve never not made the ultimate decision.”
Aikman, currently an analyst on Fox, said recently he has always entertained the idea of leaving the broadcast booth to work in a front office some day. But he didn’t think that would ever happen as general manager of the Cowboys.
“I doubt it. I mean, I think that’s a real long shot,” Aikman told 1310 The Ticket in Dallas recently. “I believe that it’s unlikely that Jerry will ever bring somebody in that can help this football team in that regard just because he’s been real stubborn and steadfast, in that he’s the one in charge. I think in a lot of ways until that changes, this team’s going to have some problems. Would he ever ask me to come be a part of it? I think that’d be a real leap of faith. I don’t envision that happening, and I don’t envision it happening at any point, quite honestly, no matter who’s in charge out there.”
The Cowboys will try to save their season Sunday in a huge matchup against the Eagles. If they win, they secure the NFC East title and will head to the playoffs. A loss would mean they’d need some big help from the Giants against the Eagles in Week 17.
In the meantime, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Aikman continues to criticize Jones.
“Listen, I’ve had a lot of lunches and a lot of great times with Troy,” Jones said. “He’s someone that I can’t tell you how much I respect him and how much I appreciate his lineage with the Dallas Cowboys. Apart from these kinds of issues, we’ve had business together. So we’re doing fine.
“I know this: He certainly would like to be, it sounds like, he’d like to be involved in the long-term involvement in a team, maybe the Cowboys. I understand that. Can you think of anybody…who would understand that more than me? I did everything and anything I could to get to live the life I live and that’s to be involved in everything, from socks to jocks, that there is with the Dallas Cowboys.
“That’s the way it is.”
