Jerry Jones is done pretending the Cowboys’ defense is anywhere close to where it needs to be.
The Dallas owner made that plain Tuesday during an appearance on 105.3 The FAN, where he addressed a unit that was supposed to look different in 2026 but has instead kept sliding after several rough weeks. Jones didn’t try to soften the message.
“I'm obviously disappointed in our results so far,” Jones said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.
The frustration traces back to Dallas’ Week 5 collapse against the Buccaneers, which Jones said left the defense back at square one. Even with that setback, he said Tuesday that he believes the Cowboys are “better off than that.”
One of the clearest signs that the organization wants a fix now is the addition of Mike Pettine as a defensive assistant. Pettine is being brought in to add veteran know-how around defensive coordinator Christian Parker, and Jones made it clear that move was more than a spur-of-the-moment reaction.
“Jones doesn't think new DC Christian Parker is overwhelmed. He says the addition of senior defensive assistant Mike Pettine fits so well with their coaching staff, adding it's a move they wanted to make before the season,” Machota wrote.
How Parker and Pettine will divide things up remains to be seen, but the message from ownership is easy to read: Dallas wants an experienced hand involved.
Jones also said Parker will shift from the sideline to the booth, according to Cowboys reporter Joseph Hoyt. That change could give the young coordinator a broader look at the game as it unfolds.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer added that the Cowboys will also make personnel changes on defense in an effort to jump-start the group. He didn’t get into specifics, saying he wanted to keep that information private for competitive reasons.
Now Dallas has a new assistant, a new perch for Parker, and changes coming on the roster side too. The next game will show how much of an impact all of it can have.
In Other News...
Stephen A. Smith Just Added Fuel To An Ugly Dak Prescott Debate
The fallout from Dallas Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay has lingered well beyond the final whistle, with a viral clip from AT&T Stadium showing an employee calling Dak Prescott and the Cowboys embarrassing before the moment quickly became a bigger conversation about frustration inside and around the building. The employee was reportedly fired after the incident, turning what began as a postgame outburst into another uneasy chapter in the pressure that follows this team whenever it slips.
Stephen A. Smith then weighed in and helped keep the debate alive, taking aim at Prescott while arguing the employee crossed a line and should have known his place. For a Cowboys team already living under a bright spotlight, the episode only deepened the divide between criticism of the quarterback and the reaction to anyone willing to say it out loud. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Face A Dangerous Secondary Question Ahead Of Packers Week
The Cowboys got back to work Monday with Green Bay looming in Week 6, but the secondary was thin enough to raise real questions about how ready the back end will be by the weekend. DaRon Bland and Caelan Carson both missed practice because of illness, while Ameer Speed and Shavon Revel Jr. were limited in drills as Dallas tried to sort through a group that already has little margin for error.
Cobie Durant and P.J. Locke were also working in the rehab group, adding to the uncertainty at a spot that could be tested again soon. There was a more encouraging note elsewhere on the injury front, with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown saying he is optimistic about getting back on the field after his hamstring issue, but for now the Cowboys focus remains on whether enough pieces in the secondary can be available when the Packers arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Spencer Had A Cowboys Career Fans Still Wonder About
Anthony Spencer remains the name most Cowboys fans think of when jersey No. 93 comes up, and for good reason. Drafted in the first round in 2007, he stepped into a starting linebacker role right away and quickly became one of the more recognizable pieces of Dallas defense. His run with the team stretched across 104 regular-season games, long enough to leave a real imprint even before injuries began cutting into his time on the field.
Spencers story still carries the what-if feeling that follows so many promising Cowboys careers. He reached the Pro Bowl in 2012 and flashed the kind of production that suggested even more could have been ahead, but the injuries that followed changed the arc of what had been a steady ascent. For a player associated with both impact and unfinished business, No. 93 has stayed memorable in Dallas in a way that goes beyond the numbers. [Read more 🡒]