Cowboys Legend’s Strong Words Against Jerry Jones After Micah Parsons Endorsed Criticism

Remember when Joe Burrow went down with that torn wrist ligament last season? Mike Brown? Cool as ever. The longtime owner didn’t waver for a second. No panic moves, no drama—just straight-up loyalty. He told the media Burrow was still the guy, reminded everyone that injuries are just part of the game, and made it clear: this is still Joe’s team. But in Dallas? Things are…different.

Now fast forward to Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, and you’d think Micah Parsons—arguably the most dominant defender in football at present—would be getting the royal treatment, right? But when Jerry Jones took the mic, what followed wasn’t exactly a rallying cry. And let’s just say… not every Cowboys legend took kindly to it.

In a recent interview, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took a shot at Micah Parsons in a not-so-subtle way. He talked about the possibility that if he does end up extending him, he might not even have him most of the time because of injuries. And TJ Watt‘s brother? Oh, he wasn’t a fan. “Anytime you can publicly take a dig at your star quarterback and your star pass rusher simultaneously, right before the season begins, you just gotta take it…” he wrote on X. But it wasn’t JJ Watt who stole the headlines.

Cowboys legend Dez Bryant doubled up. He retweeted JJ’s words and wrote, “Speaking nothing but facts.” This wasn’t a mere statement. A declaration that legacy and leadership aren’t taken lightly in Dallas. A declaration that sometimes, the loudest defense comes from those who’ve done it before.

And why do these four words mean so much? Because he has been there. Literally. He knows what it’s like to be the guy one minute and a question mark the next. That knee injury in 2016 didn’t just slow him down—it basically spelled the beginning of the end for his time in Dallas. And through it all, he heard the whispers, saw the headlines, and felt the cold shoulder from the same front office he once carried.

Dez and Jerry? Let’s just say it’s been complicated. Dez never bit his tongue, especially when it came to contracts or being painted the wrong way in the media. Back in 2019, he straight-up pushed back when Jerry tried to negotiate with him personally, calling it “unfair pressure” on a player just trying to make the right call.

And that wasn’t the first time. Years before, Dez lit up Twitter after Jerry questioned his chemistry with Dak Prescott, calling the offense “garbage” and blasting the owner as “clueless” over some shaky criticism of his production. If there’s one thing that tells you? Dez isn’t built to sit quietly when he feels disrespected.

Jerry Jones took a shot at not one, but two Dallas players

Talking about the most promising player of your franchise like that? Not too smart. “Just because we sign him doesn’t mean we’re gonna have him. He was hurt six games last year,” Jerry Jones said. Why would you say that when the season’s just around the corner?

And somewhere between all these words, Jerry is missing a very important detail. Micah might’ve missed some time in 2024 with that nagging hamstring, but when he was on the field? Total game-wrecker. He still racked up 13 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and earned second-team All-Pro honors. Most players don’t rack up these numbers despite playing every single game.

And these words just seem to get worse and worse when you think about the fact that Parsons is scheduled for a contract extension. Would he still want to play for an owner who can’t even back him when he’s out injured? It’s no surprise that he re-shared what JJ Watt said (sarcastically) on X, “Nothing makes guys want to fight for you more than hearing how upset you are that they got hurt while fighting for you.”

Why would Parsons want to fight for an owner who can’t fight for him? Oh, and Parsons wasn’t even the only player Jerry called out.

“I remember signing a player for the highest-paid position in the league, and he got knocked out two-thirds of the year. Dak Prescott,” he added. We can all agree Dak Prescott hasn’t lived up to what he thought he would be when the Cowboys gave him that mega deal. But come on, there’s a reason they did. In 2023, a healthy Dak put up 4,165 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 9 picks. He finished top-5 in QBR and helped steer the Cowboys to an 11–6 record.

Say what you want, but you just don’t take shots at your franchise cornerstones like that, even if only to protect your investment. Through all the noise and injuries, Prescott and Parsons have proven they’re anything but a liability. When you talk about your most prominent player like that? You’re sending a message to each one of your players. And the message?

If you can’t stay healthy throughout the season, you mean less to me. Just the kind of locker room speech that inspires teams to championships, huh?