Terrell Owens says Jerry Jones is selling Cowboys fans a fantasy as franchise value hits $15 billion
Sports franchise economics, at the top end of the NFL, now register in the tens of billions. The Dallas Cowboys, purchased by Jerry Jones for $140 million in February 1989, are valued at $15.5 billion by Sportico and at $17…
Key takeaways
- The Dallas Cowboys, bought by Jerry Jones for $140 million in February 1989, are now valued at $15.5 billion by Sportico and $17 billion by Forbes, the NFL's most valuable franchise by either measure.
- Terrell Owens said on his 'Get To The Point' podcast that Jones is focused on the bottom line rather than winning, putting a 'decent product' on the field to keep fans buying merchandise.
- Owens called Jones 'a great salesman' selling fans 'a fantasy' and compared him to President Donald Trump, saying the 83-year-old owner shows 'narcissism' in refusing to give up organizational control.
- The Cowboys have not returned to the Super Bowl since the 1996 season, having last won titles in the 1993, 1994, and 1996 seasons under Jones.
- Jones acknowledged disappointment at Dallas's Week 1 loss to the New York Giants but said the team remains 'optimistic' about its 2026 playoff and Super Bowl chances.
Sports franchise economics, at the top end of the NFL, now register in the tens of billions. The Dallas Cowboys, purchased by Jerry Jones for $140 million in February 1989, are valued at $15.5 billion by Sportico and at $17 billion by Forbes, making the franchise the most valuable in the league by either measure. Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens, speaking on his newly launched "Get To The Point" podcast, argued this week that this commercial success has given Jones every incentive to keep fans buying rather than to actually win a Super Bowl.
The occasion was Dallas's Week 1 loss to the New York Giants in the 2026 NFL season, but Owens's critique went well beyond the single result. Owens, who spent two of his 15 NFL seasons with the Cowboys, put the owner's priorities plainly: Jones, he said, is focused on the bottom line, not wins and losses. The formula, as Owens described it, is to put a "decent product" on the field, give fans enough hope to keep them buying Cowboys merchandise, and collect the revenue. Against the backdrop of that commercial model, Owens argued, the Super Bowl becomes less a goal than a selling point.
Thirty years without a title
Dallas won the Super Bowl in the 1993, 1994, and 1996 seasons. The Cowboys had also won the championship before Jones took ownership, in the 1972 and 1978 seasons. The franchise long known as "America's Team" has not returned to the Super Bowl since 1996. At various points in the intervening years, the team has fallen short in the playoffs and missed the postseason entirely.
Owens drew a direct comparison between Jones and President Donald Trump, saying the owner "will just say anything" and that a large portion of the fan base keeps believing him. He called Jones "a great salesman" selling supporters "a fantasy" and "a dream," and said the 83-year-old owner shows signs of "narcissism" in his stated refusal to ever relinquish organizational control. His prescription: Jones should give up some of that authority and allow others into the team's decision-making structure.
Owens did not dispute Jones's capacity for generating commercial returns. That part, he said, works. The question he was raising was whether an owner who has built the league's most valued franchise has any real incentive to alter the formula.
Jones acknowledged disappointment at the Week 1 result and said the Cowboys remain "optimistic" about their playoff and Super Bowl chances for 2026. The franchise has not played in a Super Bowl since 1996.
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