Dallas Cowboys
owner Jerry Jones serves as the club’s general manager, but the 84-year-old can’t run the franchise’s football operations forever.
Meanwhile, Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman is facing an uncertain future, as he is in the last year of his ESPN contract amid reports claiming his working relationship with broadcast partner Joe Buck has soured.
Jones and Aikman had a conversation that reportedly “lasted nearly 10 minutes” ahead of Monday’s game between the Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, which Aikman called for ESPN. During a Tuesday morning appearance on Dallas sports radio station 105.3 The Fan, Jones confirmed that he “could and would” hire Aikman to have a “significant” role with the organization during the upcoming offseason.
Jerry Jones appreciates Troy Aikman’s “knowledge of NFL football”
“It’s that simple because I do think that much of him, with his basic command and understanding and knowledge of NFL football,” Jones said about Aikman, per Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys’ website. “He’s certainly as qualified to do any of the things that have been mentioned. I think he’s outstanding at what he focuses on right now, and that’s giving the story and the narration of football games, of all times.”
As Mark Maske of Front Office Sports shared, Aikman and Jones spoke after Aikman recently told Mike Fisher of “Cowboys Roundtable” that he “would welcome” an opportunity to “lend some services that would help make [the Cowboys] better.”
While Aikman previously served as a consultant for the Miami Dolphins, Maske noted that Aikman’s “formal consulting agreement with Miami was limited to the team’s general manager and head coach searches” earlier this year.
For what it’s worth, some think Jones could fire head coach Brian Schottenheimer if the 3-4 Cowboys miss the playoffs.
Is Troy Aikman leaving broadcasting for a role with the Cowboys “very possible?”
“So let me make it real clear: Troy Aikman is, first of all, just getting started in his life,” Jones added about the 59-year-old. “I don’t know of anyone that’s played, or any part of football, that has had any more success off the field than Troy. He is a successful guy because he is one of the hardest-working, most focused people that I’ve ever been around. Now, when you’re around each other, a part of that makeup can make it where you can have your ups and downs. But I think the world of him. I’ve seen his image and had it in my eyes since I walked in the NFL. He’s outstanding. The answer is not that necessarily we’re going to do something more direct with the team at this time, but don’t rule it out. It’s very possible.”
CBS is likely no longer a potential landing spot for Aikman if he leaves ESPN, but Amazon Prime Video could be interested in his services next year. Then again, perhaps he would welcome the opportunity to turn the Cowboys back into a winner if he received a desired amount of power from Jones regarding personnel decisions.
