NFL Hall of Famer turned ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe has accused Jerry Jones of abusing his power as owner of the Cowboys after he appeared to threaten the jobs of two Dallas Radio hosts who asked about criticisms that he didn’t make enough off-season moves.
Jones had a complete meltdown during his weekly appearance on “Shan & RJ” on Audacy’s 105.3 The Fan, which came a day after the Cowboys got whooped by the Lions, 47-9, at home — on his 82nd birthday.
“He put a man in fear for his job,” Sharpe said, referring to radios hosts, Shan Shariff, R.J. Choppy and Bobby Belt.
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NFL Wrap: Lions down disastrous Dallas | 03:06
“I hate, I detest, I despise someone that will prey on the weak. And because Jerry Jones is in an advantageous situation, because he has the power in this situation, he would actually say that publicly.
“That tells me a lot about a man. That tells me a lot about a man that has power and would abuse that power to tell that man, ‘I will get somebody in here to ask me favourable questions.’ That is absolutely that guy’s job … What do you think his job was?
“See, Jerry wants all the credit when things go well, but none of the blame. He told us how many times, ‘The buck stops with me. Any deal that’s ever happened, I either signed off on it or I got notified of it.’
“Now you’re getting trounced. You’re getting run through like Sherman went through Atlanta during the Civil War and now you don’t want no part of it when they ask you about it.”
Sharpe emphasised that he didn’t take Jones’ comments lightly.
“If the Cowboys don’t win another playoff game or another game as long as Jerry Jones is the owner, I’ll be the happiest man in the world,” he said.
“For that man to put that man in fear for his job … and for Jerry to say this publicly … I’m out.”
Jones became heated when the radio hosts brought up “all the off-season topics” surrounding the Cowboys.
Dallas wasn’t aggressive when it came to bolstering its roster and Jones — who promised to go “all in” during the off-season — waited until the last minute to extend quarterback Dak Prescott and star wideout CeeDee Lamb.
“Listen, let me tell you what I’ll do about it, I will let us sit down and look at the decisions we’ve made over the last several years. OK? I’ll look at it,” Jones said Tuesday, adding that he was at an NFL owners meeting in Atlanta at the time.
“Now if you think I’m interested on a damn phone call with you over the radio and sitting here and throwing all the good out with the dishwater, you’d have got to be smoking something over there this morning. I’m not.
“And I really don’t … and I don’t even want our listeners listening to me talk about. This is not your job. Your job isn’t to let me go over the reasons that I did something and I’m sorry that I did it. That’s not your job.
“That’s not your job or I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions, men. No, no. I’m not kidding.
“You’re not going to figure out what the team is doing right or wrong,” Jones continued.
“If you or any five or 10 like you, you need to come to this meeting I’m going to today — the 32 teams here. You’re geniuses. OK. Y’all really think you’re going to sit here with a microphone and tell me all of the things that I’ve done wrong and without going over the rights?”
Jones reiterated he has no plans on firing head coach Mike McCarthy and noted the Cowboys have been shorthanded, although “that’s not really an excuse in the NFL.”
He also mentioned Prescott and Lamb’s record deals, and praised Dallas’ personnel.
Jones added that he’s not throwing in the towel after Sunday’s embarrassment at AT & T Stadium in Arlington.
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