Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once brought back Hall of Famer Bill Parcells out of retirement. The former head coach returned to the league in 2003 and immediately led the team to the playoffs following a disappointing 5-11 record the previous season. And the reason Parcells jumped on board was because of the price tag attached to the role: $17.1 million over four years. However, after failing to lead Dallas to deep postseason glory in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, he decided to retire for good.
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Since then, Jones has rarely spent heavily on head coaches. And that’s the topic he addressed during his appearance this week on 105.3 The Fan. Jones was asked two things: whether he likes finding hidden-gem coaches who turn out to be winners, and why he usually hires cheaper coaches.
“There is zero correlation [in the NFL] between how much you pay a coach or how many coaches you have as to winning. There is no correlation,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “And that’s a random sample of years and all 32 teams involved. So put that in your hopper and smoke it.”
The backlash against Jerry Jones is intensifying, as current head coach Brian Schottenheimer reportedly makes about $4.5 million per year, which is tied for the lowest head-coaching salary in the NFL. Meanwhile, elite NFL coaches average around $14 million to $20 million per season.
But what makes it worse is the wait for a successful outcome from the current Cowboys unit. First off, Dallas hasn’t won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. While Jones’ team has managed to qualify for the playoff games at times, the 30-year-long Lombardi drought has yet to end.
Brian Schottenheimer took charge of the Dallas Cowboys with high expectations from Jerry Jones. Although the offense shined in the 2025 season, averaging 27.7 points per game (7th in the NFL), the defense showcased a contradictory performance, resulting in a 7-9-1 record and another heartbreaking season for the fans.
However, with a revamped defensive unit, Jones had renewed expectations from the Cowboys. To that end, he made it clear that he was prioritizing immediate success over long-term rebuilding, while also sharing his thoughts about their chances to at least reach Super Bowl LXI.
“I feel like we’ve got a chance to really be good,” Jones said in July. “It’s going to be hard…Bottom line is, I love the excitement. [The media], for all practical purposes, don’t expect us to be a contender in the Super Bowl. Y’all don’t. Why would you? I like that, I do. I like that, and I like what we’ve put together to show you that we can do it.”
However, so far in the 2026 season, the Dallas Cowboys aren’t looking as convincing as Jerry Jones hoped they would be. They stand at a 3-5 record. As a result, there is growing public scrutiny around Brian Schottenheimer’s job, with plenty of criticism also directed at the Cowboys owner.