After making the Micah Parsons trade right before the start of the 2025 season, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seemingly set out on a quest to slowly but surely try and win fans over again.
The most notable move Jones has made is obviously the trade to acquire defensive lineman Quinnen Williams from the Jets, and many Cowboys fans hate to admit Jerry is right about anything, but...Williams is a stud.
With Williams under contract through the 2027 season and the Cowboys also giving Osa Odighizuwa a big-money deal back in March, fans are worried that the team isn't going to be able to keep the entire band together with Kenny Clark -- acquired in the Parsons trade -- coming up on an interesting roster decision in 2026. Jones made sure to set the record straight: He believes they can keep everyone.
Jerry Jones fuels hope that Cowboys can bring stellar defensive line back in 2026 (and beyond)
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan on those who say Dallas can't keep all three defensive tackles, Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark, because of their salaries:
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 2, 2025
"That's not right. We can. We can build from that."
There are no guarantees in the NFL when it comes to player contracts, free agency, or retaining guys. The Cowboys obviously found that out the hard way. But a misconception for some might be that the Cowboys couldn't afford to pay Micah Parsons what he was asking for.
That's not the case.
The Cowboys -- Jerry Jones -- drew a proverbial line in the sand with Parsons instead of just handing him over a blank check. Like it or not, there is merit to the idea that you can't justify paying one player such a substantial chunk of the salary cap pie, especially when you've already paid your star quarterback and star receiver.
But again, those resources didn't disappear. The Cowboys just now have a chance to reallocate them and reload after this season.
The idea that the Cowboys can't structure contracts to keep players like Kenny Clark and George Pickens in the 2026 offseason is ridiculous.
Clark could get an extension. The Cowboys could restructure their deals with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. There are always ways to create salary cap space. And the Cowboys will need to explore those avenues to keep their core intact.
They are currently projected to be about $33 million over the salary cap next offseason, dead last in the NFL as things stand today. It's easy to look at a situation like that and assume the Cowboys won't be able to bring their core guys back, or sign anybody at all, but that's not how things work in the NFL.
We've seen teams like the New Orleans Saints dig themselves out of cap holes much deeper than the one Dallas is facing, and not only that, but make aggressive moves in free agency on top of it. It's all about how you structure contracts, how willing other players are to restructure deals, and how you can find creative ways to maneuver around just letting good players walk.
The moves the Cowboys have been making are obviously with one eye on the future, because you don't make the Micah Parsons trade and mandate Kenny Clark be included just to have him be a cap casualty the next year.
We'll see what kind of madness Jerry Jones has up his sleeve in the offseason.