Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is one of the biggest personalities in all of sports, as he has run one of the NFL's premier franchises for almost three decades.
The Cowboys organization is different than most teams in the NFL for many reasons, the biggest being that Jones has more say in his team's decisions than a typical owner does. Jones is so hands-on regarding his team that his influence bleeds into the front office beyond standard ownership decisions.
Whenever the Cowboys makes a move, both big and small, it is Jones that has to answer to the fans and media for it. Here's a breakdown of why Jones has so much influence on his team.
Is Jerry Jones general manager of the Cowboys?
Jerry Jones has served as the Cowboys' general manager since he bought the team in 1989. He is both the only owner in the NFL to currently act as his team's general manager and the longest-active general manager in the entire league.
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Why don't the Cowboys have a GM?
While it may be unconventional for Jones to be both owner and general manager, he is insistent on remaining in both roles. Jones claims that he enjoys the scrutiny that comes with being in the general manager position.
"I'm often asked the question, why don't I hire a general manager," Jones said in his Netflix documentary. "I've had people that have said, 'Jerry, you subject yourself to so much criticism. You need a buffer.' I don't like it like that, I like the pain."
Jones expanded on the decision in 2024, as he explained that the entire reason that he bought the team was that he could run it, not anyone else.
"No. Just, no," Jones said via CBS Sports. "I bought the team, I think the first thing to come out of my mouth … somebody asked, 'Did you buy this for your kids?' I said, 'Hell no. I bought it for me.' And I didn't buy an investment. I bought an occupation, and I bought something I was going to do. I was 46 (years old). I bought something I was going to do for the rest of my life. That's what I'm doing. So, no. The facts are, since I have to decide where the money is spent, then you might as well cut all of the bull---- out. That's who's making the call anyways."
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Dallas Cowboys front office structure
While the Cowboys are unique in that their owner is also their general manager, the rest of their front office structure looks like that of other NFL teams. Still, Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, are the top names in Dallas' front office.
Here's a look at the highest-ranking members of the Cowboys front office structure, as of the 2025 season.
- General Manager: Jerry Jones
- Chief Operating Officer: Stephen Jones
- Vice President of Football Operations: Todd Williams
- Director of Salary Cap: Adam Prasifka
- Director of Player Development: Bryan Wansley
- Vice President of Player Personnel: Will McClay
- Director of Pro Scouting: Alex Loomis
- Director of College Scouting: Mitch LaPoint
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Have the Cowboys ever had a GM?
Jerry Jones has served as the official Cowboys general manager since 1989. Before Jones, the only other person to serve as general manager for the Cowboys was Tex Schramm, who led the team from its inception in 1960 to 1988 under former owners Clint Murchison Jr. and Bum Bright.
Schramm, who worked for both the Rams and CBS Sports prior to joining Dallas, led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl titles and hired legendary head coach Tom Landry. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
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What NFL teams do not have a GM?
Some NFL teams don't have an official general manager, as some high-ranking executives run the show with a different title. One example of this is the Bengals, as Duke Tobin has been the highest-ranked official as the Director of Player Personnel for over 25 years.
Additionally, in 2025, Eliot Wolf is the Patriots' de facto general manager, but his official title is Executive Vice President. However, no other team besides the Cowboys has its owner also serve as the general manager as well, making Jerry Jones the only owner to take on both roles.
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Jerry Jones timeline of controversial moves
1989: Cowboys trade Herschel Walker in blockbuster deal
Jones began his Cowboys' ownership with a bang, as he traded star running back Herschel Walker to the Vikings in one of the most-lopsided deals in NFL history. Jones got a slew of picks and players back in return, including three first-rounders, and the team flipped all of the players it acquired later for more draft capital. This trade set the stage for the Cowboys draft success in the early 1990s.
1992: Cowboys acquire Charles Haley from 49ers
One of Jones' best moves came in 1992, when he acquired Charles Haley from the 49ers for a second-round pick and a third-round pick. Haley wore out his welcome in San Francisco, but the trade ended up as a coup for Dallas as Haley totaled 34 sacks helped them win three Super Bowls over the next five seasons.
2000: Cowboys trade for Joey Galloway
In an attempt to replace the recently-retired Michael Irvin, the Cowboys traded two first-round picks to for Seahawks wide receiver Joey Galloway, who had three 1,000-yard seasons in his first five NFL years. However, Galloway tore his ACL in his first game as a Cowboy and didn't live up to the hype, totaling just 2,341 receiving yards in four seasons with Dallas. Galloway would go on to revive his career with the Buccaneers immediately after leaving the Cowboys, though.
2006: Cowboys sign Terrell Owens
Jones has never shied away from big personalities, and that was especially the case when he signed wide receiver Terrell Owens to a three-year deal in 2006. Owens, who was one of the league's biggest stars, had just butted heads with the Eagles' organization, forcing his release. Owens had a solid three seasons in Dallas, totaling over 1,000 receiving yards each year, but the team never took advantage of the pairing.
2015: Cowboys sign Greg Hardy
In the 2015 offseason, the Cowboys signed defensive end Greg Hardy despite Hardy facing a domestic violence suspension. In 2013, Hardy made the Pro Bowl with 15 sacks for the Panthers, but he missed all but one game in 2014 while he was on the commissioner's exempt list awaiting suspension. The NFL initially suspended him for 10 games in 2015, but it was reduced to four so he played 12 games in Dallas in what would be his final NFL season.
2025: Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to Packers
While star pass rusher Micah Parsons was looking for a new contract, he and Jones were never able to find an agreement. As a result, Jones traded Parsons to the Packers for Kenny Clark and two first-round picks, but the entire process was controversial to fans who believed Parsons should've been a Cowboy for life.
MORE: Jerry Jones timeline of Cowboys contract disputes
h2: Jerry Jones draft history
Best draft picks
| Player | Position | Year | Round | Pick |
| Troy Aikman | Quarterback | 1989 | 1 | 1 |
| Emmitt Smith | Running Back | 1990 | 1 | 17 |
| Darren Woodson | Safety | 1992 | 2 | 37 |
| Larry Allen | Offensive guard | 1994 | 2 | 46 |
| Jason Witten | Tight End | 2003 | 3 | 69 |
| DeMarcus Ware | Defensive End | 2005 | 1 | 11 |
| Dez Bryant | Wide Receiver | 2010 | 1 | 24 |
In his time as general manager, Jones drafted four players who ended up making the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In fact, his first ever draft pick was quarterback Troy Aikman, who helped the team win three Super Bowls over his first six years. Jones also drafted Emmitt Smith and DeMarcus Ware in the first round, and he found Larry Allen in the second round.
In the non-hall-of-fame category, Darren Woodson, Jason Witten and Dez Bryant were all franchise cornerstones who made multiple pro bowls in their times in Dallas.
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Worts draft picks
Not every pick works out for any team, as general managers and scouting departments all have their share of misses. Still, Jones has a few picks that aged particularly bad.
The Cowboys had pick No. 18 in 2006 with legendary head coach Bill Parcells in charge, and Parcells and Jones agreed to take linebacker Bobby Carpenter. While Carpenter was a fine player, he didn't live up to Dallas' expectations, and the two players taken immediately after, Antonio Cromartie and Tamba Hali, had long NFL careers.
Perhaps Jones' biggest miss came in 2012, when the Cowboys traded up from pick No. 14 to pick No. 6 to select LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. Not only did Dallas give up an extra second-round pick for a player who had injury issues and left in free agency five years later, the team passed up on future stars like Luke Kuechly, Stephon Gillmore, Dontari Poe and Fletcher Cox.
In 2017, the Cowboys' were coming off a 13-3 season and in search of a pass rusher to take them to the next level. With pick No. 28, Dallas selected Taco Charlton out of Michigan, but he lasted just two seasons with the team while totaling just four sacks. Meanwhile, the Steelers selected T.J. Watt two picks later, as Watt turned into one of the best pass rushers in the league.
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