Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is never shy to share his opinions with the media, even when it comes to explaining his thought process behind roster decisions.
Following Dallas’ Thanksgiving afternoon victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, a third consecutive win to bring the team’s record to 6-5-1, Jones appeared on Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan to speak about the state of the franchise. One topic of discussion was the Cowboys’ trade with the New York Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Jones offered a claim about the trade discussions that, frankly, is difficult to believe.
According to Jon Machota, a Dallas Cowboys reporter for The Athletic, Jones claimed that before the regular season, he offered the Jets a first-round pick and edge rusher Micah Parsons for Williams because he “thought that much of Williams.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan said he offered the New York Jets a first-round pick and Micah Parsons for DT Quinnen Williams before the season started. “I thought that much of Williams.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 28, 2025
Jones’ claim seems preposterous given the value of the players mentioned.
Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro in just four seasons, netted the Cowboys two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark (a solid starter at age 30) from the Green Bay Packers, a package that many agreed was not enough to justify trading the superstar edge rusher.
Even so, Parsons still yielded a better return than the one Williams netted for New York. Williams brought in one first-round pick, one second-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith (a first-round bust who is already a healthy scratch for New York).
Considering that Parsons is clearly valued much higher than Williams, how are we supposed to believe that Jones offered Parsons and a first-round pick for Williams, and that the Jets turned it down?
There are only two possibilities at play here: One, Jones is spewing baloney, or two, the Jets are bonkers for not accepting the deal. Most likely, it’s the former, as Jones’ recent comments contradict the claims that he made earlier this year.
On Sept. 13, Jones claimed he offered Parsons to the Jets for Williams and a first-round pick. That’s a more realistic offer; one that the Jets still arguably should have accepted if it were truly on the table, but Jones isn’t exactly proving himself as a reliable narrator.
The 83-year-old owner continues to provide endless entertainment off the field. On the field, Jones’ trade for Williams has paid dividends, as the Cowboys are 3-0 since acquiring the Jets’ former third overall pick.
New York will have to wait a while to see if the trade pays off on their end. The Jets will have the Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2026, and in 2027, they will receive a first-round pick from Dallas, which will be the higher of the two selections between Dallas’ pick and the one they received from Green Bay in the Parsons trade.