The Dallas Cowboys have been on a magical run since their bye week. They defeated the Las Vegas Raiders and then took down the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in consecutive games. But their Thanksgiving game against the 2025 Super Bowl runner-up was a stellar performance, which saw primary return specialist KaVontae Turpin pull off an incredible play that received special praise from team owner Jerry Jones.

The Dallas Cowboys owner was left in awe of Turpin, describing him as having the “courage of a lion,” after recovering a fumble in the deciding moments against the Chiefs. Jones also deemed it to be something he had never seen during his time with the franchise.

“I’ve never seen more courage, and boy, he will go up in there, as we all know,” said Jerry Jones during an appearance on 105.3 The FAN. “He was like a breath. He just instantaneously went to recover the football, and all the motion had the quickness to get in there. It was one of the biggest plays I’ve seen us have.”

In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys had a seven-point lead and were eyeing a field goal when QB1 Dak Prescott hit George Pickens for a short gain inside the 10-yard line. But as Pickens fumbled the ball, KaVontae Turpin zoomed in and pounced on it for a recovery. The Cowboys avoided disaster as a turnover at that moment could have resulted in a soul-crushing defeat, especially with the Chiefs scoring a TD.

But this play wasn’t all from KaVontae Turpin, as he recorded two catches on as many targets for 28 yards and added three carries for 33 yards. He also added 118 yards on five kickoff returns and emerged as a vital performer against the Chiefs.

While Turpin’s heroics helped secure the victory, Jerry Jones also used his post-Thanksgiving radio appearance to address the bigger picture behind his team’s undefeated streak after the bye week. Jones revealed new details about the monumental Micah Parsons trade that reshaped the Cowboys’ defense.

What did Jerry Jones say about the Micah Parsons trade?

Through this three-game Dallas winning streak, the Cowboys’ defense has finally made the necessary improvements to support their high-output offense. A main factor behind the defensive improvement has been defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who generated 21 pressures. The three-time Pro Bowler has also recorded 19 pressures in eight games with the New York Jets earlier this season.

In what has turned out to be a crucial move, the Cowboys traded the Jets defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick for Williams. Dallas also completed a historic deal to send their star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. But according to Jerry Jones, he has been a long-time admirer of Williams and wanted to swap Parsons for the star DT.

The Cowboys’ owner, during his appearance on 105.3 The FAN, revealed that a deal with New York didn’t materialize at the time because the Jets didn’t have enough salary cap space to pay Parsons. Looking for a contract extension from the Cowboys, Parsons was involved in a major standoff with Jones throughout this past offseason.

The Cowboys then traded the four-time Pro Bowl sack artist to the Packers for a package involving three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick. Now, looking back at that monumental trade, it seems like a win-win situation for both Parsons and Jones, but only time will tell about the deal’s long-term implications.