The feud between Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones was no secret. Even while they worked together at the Dallas Cowboys, money and ego clashes separated them. Jones, the owner, decided to part ways with Johnson and paid him a $2 million settlement. This allowed the coach to move on and lead another NFL team.
Many analysts believe this was not the best decision for the Cowboys. In fact, some argue that the franchise could have won several consecutive championships under Johnson.
A personal conflict with big consequences
According to Essentiallysports, former Cowboys player Michael Irvin spoke out about the feud between Johnson and Jones. In a YouTube video, he said:
“Jimmy was obsessed with winning football games. And honestly, when you win back-to-back, I don’t know how much they were paying Jimmy or all of that. But I’m pretty sure they were paying him less than he deserved. That’s all I’ll say.”
He added: “Since this video is called back-to-back, the great glory of history is back-to-back. But for me, the great pain: we could have won four or five consecutive Super Bowls.” Irvin admitted that it hurts to think about what the team could have achieved without the feud.
Sadly, the franchise fell short of expectations, not because of a lack of talent, but because of the broken relationship between Johnson and Jones. This tension lasted for decades, until 2023. By the end of that year, Jones finally announced Johnson’s inclusion in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.
Johnson responded: “Well, let me just say how grateful I am to Jerry for this. I’m grateful for the Ring of Honor, but even more grateful that he brought me to the Cowboys in 1989.”
