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Stephen A. Smith has long been a critic of the Dallas Cowboys organization. But in a rare move, the ESPN host praised the team’s longtime owner and general manager, Jerry Jones.
In late August, the Cowboys boss agreed to a blockbuster trade that sent star passer Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The decision came just shy of the one-year anniversary of Jones rewarding quarterback Dak Prescott with a massive four-year contract extension.
Jones faced backlash following Parsons’ departure, but given that the Cowboys have exceeded expectations so far this season, Smith believes Jones made the right choice.
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Stephen A. Smith on “ESPN NBA Countdown” taking place at Intuit Dome on October 23, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The Cowboys enter Week 8 with a 3-3-1 record. Prescott has thrown for 1,881 yards and 16 touchdowns – both numbers rank second in the NFL.
With the Cowboys trailing the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, Dallas’ hopes of making the playoffs remain very much alive. Smith cited the decision to invest in Prescott instead of Parsons when making his prediction about the Cowboys’ playoff finish.
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“You know, I didn’t like the way he handled the Micah Parsons situation,” Smith said on Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take.”
“We have to be fair to Jerry Jones, who we obviously criticize constantly. This man wanted to bet his money on Dak Prescott. He wanted Dak Prescott…Jerry Jones is his way. And his way is: I gave this man $60 million to go out there and make me look good. I’m rolling with you. I can afford to make the sacrifice here. I can afford not to do that here. I can afford to let Rico Dowdle go…I can afford to let Micah Parsons go…I can afford to do these things because I got you, I got you and, by the way, I also got you (George) Pickens to go with CeeDee Lamb.
Smith also praised running back Javonte Williams, who is on pace to have the best season of his career.
A detailed photo of the Dallas Cowboys logo painted at midfield before an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“So you have all the records, because Ferguson is no joke either, and Javonte Williams runs with the football. And that offensive line wasn’t as bad as you thought. Look at that offense, right? So they’re winning the way he wants them to win,” Smith added.
Parsons has 16 tackles and 5.5 sacks in six games with the Packers. The defensive end recorded double-digit sack totals in his four seasons with the Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pitch against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium on October 5, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
The Cowboys have only four playoff victories in the last quarter century and have not reached the NFC Championship Game since their last Super Bowl victory in the 1995 season. Despite the lack of recent playoff success, Smith expressed confidence that Dallas will achieve a playoff victory in January.
“If he goes out and changes it up and this defense shows something … and the Dallas Cowboys make the playoffs with this offense and dare I say, they win a playoff game, we all need to stand down and be like this: Jerry Jones got us,” Smith said. “We need to step back. That’s a big if…but if we’re going to crucify him religiously, we need to step back and say this: ‘Damn, maybe he was right.'”
The Denver Broncos host the Cowboys this Sunday.
