Jerry Jones shuts down question about his Derrick Henry excuse

After Sunday’s loss to the Ravens and new running back Derrick Henry, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his team didn’t pursue Henry because they couldn’t afford him.

We, among others, believe that Jerry is not telling the truth. The Cowboys could have afforded Henry, they just didn’t want to.

The issue came up during his Tuesday appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. And Jerry shut it down.

Here was the question: “Jerry, you said after the game that Derrick Henry — you guys basically just couldn’t afford him. He’s a guy this year —”

“That’s correct,” Jones said, interrupting the host. “That is very correct. Stop right there. That’s very correct. Part of what you would’ve paid him is going to players we paid in the past, and part of what you would have paid him is going forward in the future. But had I thought that that position this year was gonna make that kind of difference, and that’s what you save your bucks for. But it’s too complicated to point to a player. There’s too much at stake when you look at the entire offense and you look at what we’re doing and what we’re trying to do with the run game as opposed to the passing game. That’s too complicated to dwell on the fact that we don’t have a given player on the team.”

He can say, or not say, whatever he wants. (And he routinely does.) The truth is that the Cowboys could have afforded Henry, if they wanted to. They surely had a reason for not pursuing him. Cash and/or cap space wasn’t it.

They made a decision not to try to sign him. They were wrong. It’s OK to just say that. Especially when everyone knows it.