ORLANDO, Fla. — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones does not regret his decision to support Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal of his suspension last season or fight Roger Goodell’s extension, even if it cost him roughly $2 million in legal fees.
Citing a bylaw that had been around since 1997 that says if an owner participates in bringing litigation against other owners he must reimburse them for legal fees, Jones was ordered to reimburse the league. He had his appeal denied by Goodell at a hearing last month.
Owners on Tuesday unanimously approved a new catch rule and authorized senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron to eject players from games for egregious non-football acts.
Under an unexpected rule passed Tuesday, a player will be penalized 15 yards and potentially ejected any time he lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.
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“When you get pretty supportive then you run or get a chance to pay the fiddler,” Jones said Tuesday from the NFL owners meetings in Orlando. “I have understood that. The commissioner has that power.”
The Cowboys filed a declaration of support for Elliott in his fight of a six-game suspension but offered no financial backing of their running back as he attempted to remain eligible through a series of appeals. Jones was vocal in his critique of the compensation committee regarding Goodell’s new contract and threatened legal action but never filed suit.
Jones laid out his concerns regarding the commissioner’s power and how the commissioner’s contract is negotiated in an “owners only” session at league meetings in Irving, Texas, in December. He said there was a similar meeting Monday in Orlando.
“It was very satisfactory and we will address more of it in May,” Jones said, alluding to the NFL meetings in Atlanta, “but I was very satisfied.”
Jones said the meetings in Orlando have had productive discussions regarding the NFL’s national anthem policy as well as social justice issues that have been a major cause for players across the league. Jones was outspoken in his belief that players should stand for the national anthem. Prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Jones took a knee and locked arms with his players, as did other front-office executives and coaches, before the anthem.
“I’m going to let Roger speak to about here, what’s (been) discussed,” Jones said. “You know where I am on it. But where it is, is everybody’s going to think about it, talk back and forth on it a little bit and then we’ll be more definitive after the May meeting.”
