For Jerry Jones and his son Stephen Jones, this season highlighted where the team is lagging behind other franchises. One such divisional rival is the Philadelphia Eagles. In their first matchup in week 10, the Eagles defeated the Cowboys 34-6. In the second game in week 17, they increased the score margin to 41-7. But Jones is still making bold claims.
Speaking with 105.3 The Fan, Stephen Jones warned that the Eagles are headed for a messy situation in 2025. Mentioning the salary caps issue, he said, “I know everybody has their different battles with the cap that hit at different times. Philly will have theirs coming up where they’ll have to make tough decisions.” That’s interesting.
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In 2025, around 25 players are set to become free agents. DE Josh Sweat, DE Brandon Graham, LB Zack Baun, and OL Fred Johnson are a few of those. But the Eagles are confident that they will tackle the situation calmly. Regarding tough decisions, the players and the management both understand that all of them won’t get the contract they desire.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has a different approach to contract situations than Jerry Jones. When they were confident in Jalen Hurts‘s abilities, they signed a record 5-year extension, but in April 2023 with a no-trade clause. Cowboys owner often stretches such negotiations as we saw with Dak Prescott who got an offer just before the season. Also, the Eagles had a pretty great season till week 17. With a 13-3 win-loss record, they are a favorite to play in Super Bowls this year.
That’s not the case with the Cowboys. They haven’t qualified for playoffs this year. Additionally, they too have a head coach situation to deal with.
Stephen Jones weighs in on Mike McCarthy’s contract status
While talking with 105.3 The Fan, Stephen Jones was asked about the head coach contract. It’s ending after the last game of the 2024 season against the Commanders. When told that many other teams would also be interested in Mike McCarthy, he said, “It doesn’t surprise me a bit. Mike’s an established head coach in this league. He’s won a Super Bowl and been to multiple championship games.” That’s right.
Except for the 2020 season and 2024, he has taken the team to playoffs thrice. The team also respects him. Despite Jerry Jones being adamant in situations with different players, such as denying curtains when CeeDee Lamb missed a pass because of sun glare, McCarthy kept his cool.
His personal equation with the owner is also great. When Jerry Jones visited the locker room after the 26-24 victory over the Buccaneers in week 16, he even had a serious discussion with the coach. It’s clear. His fate will be decided after the season ends. Fans hope that it’s a positive one.
