Whether in or out of the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys are always at the forefront of the NFL world. Unfortunately for general manager and owner Jerry Jones, his name was dragged across the internet for a move that, if intentional, was rather cheap on the part of the most profitable sports organization.
After Dak Prescott suffered an avulsion in his hamstring, backup quarterback Cooper Rush took over the starting job. Even though the Cowboys had lost all hope of making the playoffs, Rush had a special $250,000 incentive to play, as he needed to play 55% of Dallas’ offensive snaps. The Cowboys started Trey Lance in Week 18, so he lost his opportunity.
After Jones claimed he “did not know” about the incentive, fans ripped his statement apart.
Fans Call Out Jerry Jones for Cooper Rush Benching
Rush signed a two-year contract worth $5 million as the Cowboys’ backup quarterback. However, depending on the percentage of snaps he played, his earnings may have increased. Rush received an additional $250,000 for completing 45% of the snaps he took. If that figure had risen to 55%, an additional $250,000 was on the way.
That is why Dallas’ decision to start Lance in Week 18 seemed unfair and cheap. Jones claimed innocence through ignorance, implying that he was unaware of the incentive.
Jones responded to Pat Doney from NBC, saying, “I did not even know about it until I read about it…”Those incentives are in place for the team, and we put them there so that if someone — in this case, a backup quarterback — has to play, they have financial incentives.
“But they are usually put in there because of people representing him and they should be.”
Rather than admitting fault, Jones chose to highlight Rush’s previous $250,000 payout. “He did really earn some pretty serious incentives this year.”
Fans were having none of it and called him out right away. “Freaking liar,” one fan responded, speaking for the majority of the fan base.
Freaking liar
— Better than nothing (@SteveB43028260) January 6, 2025
Rush was ranked 39th among quarterbacks by Pro Football Network in Week 18, with a QB+ of 60.8. Only Anthony Richardson, Jacoby Brissett, Spencer Rattler, and Deshaun Watson performed worse by this metric.
Dallas, on the other hand, won four games in a five-week span with Rush at quarterback, demonstrating its ability to compete even without Prescott.
He didn't know…. he's the GM lol
— Alex ✞ (@GreatRajsel) January 6, 2025
Many people chastised Jones for his comment because the two scenarios depicted the owner as either a liar or incompetent in his position. “The best part about this obvious lie is that even if it were true, he is their GM, so that just makes him look incompetent,” a fan said.
Others were less trusting of Jones, saying, “Dude makes the contracts.” “There are no moral billionaires.”
Despite this, some fans remained hopeful. Teams will sometimes give a player an incentive regardless of the milestone reached. When viewed as a sign of goodwill, it can foster trust between the player and the franchise. Furthermore, for a much-maligned team like Dallas, it would generate positive publicity and improve their image.
“The decent thing to do is give him the other 250k”
Earlier this year, Forbes estimated the Cowboys’ net worth at more than $9 billion. With only $250,000 on the line, it is no surprise that fans are upset with America’s Team.