Jerry Jones is ready to re-enter free agency.
After some noticeably quiet offseasons in which the Cowboys prioritized retaining their own talent rather than signing free agents, Dallas’ owner said he’s ready to open his wallet.
“I could see me being aggressive, I could see us being aggressive in free agency,” Jones said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I would bet that we will spend more money in free agency than we have.”
The 2025 season marked the 30th without a title — or even an NFC Championship game appearance — and Jones made it clear Friday that the drought is eating at him.
After three straight playoff appearances spanning the 2021-23 seasons, Dallas has now missed the postseason in each of the last two years.
Jones did what he could to keep Dallas’ core together by retaining star quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on massive deals, among other retentions, but has not doled out monster contracts to free agents in the hope of fortifying other areas of the roster.
Those holes have ultimately burned Dallas, particularly on defense this past season in a 7-9-1campaign.
Dallas yielded a league-worst 30.1 points per game this past season, leading to the firing of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, while ranking 30th in yards allowed per game.
Some top free agents who could help Dallas include edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Trey Hendrickson, plus linebacker Devin Lloyd.
“I look at where we are with Dak and I look at where he is in his career. And I look at some of the pluses that we have on our front and what we think we can do there. And what we can do with (George) Pickens and Lamb and what we can do with our running back that we just signed (Javonte Williams),” Jones said, per ESPN. “I want to do everything we possibly can to stop somebody and to basically win some third downs more than we did last year. … I think that would be the area that you would see me bust the budget. Where you would see me do that is what we’re doing defensively.
“And I would expect anybody that’s a Cowboy fan or a critic of the Cowboys to say, ‘Duh, that’s not hard to see, Jerry, to do.’ But I guess what I’m doing is saying, yes, I intend to do that if given the opportunity.”
To make some notable moves, Dallas will first have to clear salary-cap space, as the franchise is projected to be roughly $56 million over the $301 million limit set for 2026, according to Over The Cap.
Jones told reporters he will restructure some contracts to free up some spending for this offseason. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Dallas will rework Prescott, Lamb and guard Tyler Smith’s deals to create $66 million in cap space.
The Cowboys will also have two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, No. 12 and No. 20, the latter from Green Bay due to the Micah Parsons trade.
Dallas’ ability to spend will be affected by how the team handles contract talks with Pickens after placing the $28 million franchise tag on the wide receiver on Friday.
The franchise can lower its salary-cap hit by negotiating a long-term deal.
“We have a great track record of working with players through this time,” Jones said. “The Cowboys want George Pickens to be part of our future.”
Dallas finished second in the NFC East last year, but the division projects to be stronger in 2026 since the Giants added top coach John Harbaugh and own the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and Washington is hoping for a healthy season from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“I really can’t accept just the thought of winning one Super Bowl and then what?” Jones said, per ESPN. “I’ve got more time on my clock than that in my mind. And so I don’t see it that way. I see a chance to put a team together and basically be knocking at the edge and get another one or get a chance at a another one.
“Make no mistake about it now, if you told me I could, because I’ve done a lot of hitchhiking in my life. … I’d start here with you right now and hitchhike back to Dallas to win a Super Bowl.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
