Jerry Jones not on board with mayor’s desire for second NFL team in Dallas

A month ago, Eric Johnson, the mayor of Dallas, decided to talk about something outside of his jurisdiction (pun intended). The third-year mayor responded to a tweet from NFL on CBS where the account asked fans what city deserves an NFL expansion team. Ignoring the fact that his city already has one of the most lucrative sports franchises in the world, the 60th mayor of Dallas argued his city needed another team besides the Dallas Cowboys.

The politician even suggested that an AFC team like the Jaguars or Chargers could be moved to Southern Dallas so that the two Dallas teams could face off in a Super Bowl. Slow down, Johnson. The Cowboys haven’t even made it to the conference championship in their last 11 playoff appearances.

Here was part of the reasoning Johnson gave for his brilliant idea as noted in a previous article:

"So far the main reason I hear for why this can’t happen is because of Jerry Jones. Well, first, let’s not put words in Mr. Jones’s mouth. Second, I work for the residents of Dallas, not Jerry Jones. Third, other NFL team owners also do not work for Jerry Jones, but themselves. Jerry Jones owns the crown jewel of the NFL…I don’t think the Lakers or Yankees are bothered one bit by the existence of the Clippers or Mets. Cowboys are a stronger brand with a more global fan base than either of these two. You’re underestimating Jerry Jones AND DALLAS"

Although Jones didn’t respond until a month later, Johnson was right. The Cowboys owner is not a fan of the idea. He was adamant that another team would not be coming to Dallas. The GM said the NFL knows better than to bring another team in given the value that the league receives from having the Cowboys as one of the marquee teams for the sport. Jones said that NFL wouldn’t be wise to “water that down.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is vehemently against mayor Eric Johnson’s idea to bring another NFL team to Dallas

When speaking to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, Jones didn’t hold back on his thoughts about the mayor trying to make moves outside of politics.

"“Well, I like the mayor. I like him personally, but he doesn’t have the depth. He doesn’t have the knowledge that others have regarding how unique Dallas is and how we enjoy the interest in the Cowboys. He wouldn’t want to water that down as it relates to Dallas if he knew as much, and has spent as much time in sports as I have.”"

Ouch, Mr. Mayor. But Johnson continues to believe in his good idea. He has no interest in “dethroning” the Cowboys, but rather understands how much Texans love football and knows his city could support another franchise. The man is adamant. He even responded to an Adam Schefter tweet about Chargers ownership issues by saying Dallas is the “fresh start” that the team needs and even tagged Roger Goodell. At least he’s committed?

The reality is that Jones holds way more authority in the league office than Johnson. If Jones doesn’t want this team and he currently runs the most valuable sports franchise (per Forbes), then you can bet the NFL isn’t going to muddy those waters.

Regardless of the clear disagreement, the mayor posted a photo with the Cowboys owner to show how friendly they are. Oh, politics.