Jerry Jones says he can’t even imagine the NFL without Troy Aikman, and now, he won’t have to. Of course, Aikman isn’t putting the helmet back on like Philip Rivers in the Indianapolis Colts; he is joining the Miami Dolphins as a consultant. His move into the Dolphins’ front office seems to have earned a glowing ‘thumbs up’ from the man who drafted him. 

“I’m so proud of him and what he did with the Cowboys, proud of what he is in the NFL,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “He’s had a great career, no matter how you count it. I’ve always appreciated having him on my side, our side. Obviously, he has to have an even hand with his job now as a broadcaster.”

Jones isn’t worried about his former legendary player helping a different team. In fact, he believes the Dolphins are fortunate enough to land Aikman in any capacity. He has joined as a consultant in their search for a General Manager. While the Hall of Famer has to remain fair and even-handed because of his job as an announcer for ESPN, Jones believes his football IQ is off the chart. That’s particularly why he’s not even surprised by his move. 

“I will say that he is certainly capable of helping any team in whatever capacity it is,” Jones added. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he decided to come back and play like [Philip] Rivers.”

Cowboys Nation may have a bone to pick with Jones, as they have begged him to bring Aikman to the front office. It’s even surprising to many that Dallas wasn’t the one to seek the three-time Super Bowl champion’s expertise. However, instead of being competitive, the billionaire head coach has given his “blessing” to the former quarterback. 

After all, his role with the Dolphins is temporary, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed. This means, once they find a replacement for Chris Grier, whom they fired back in October, Aikman’s role with them will come to an end. Aikman may be moving into the consultant role in Miami, but he will always be a Cowboy at heart. While Aikman is preparing for the Dolphins’ offseason, Jones remains a permanent, and sometimes, controversial architect of America’s Team. 

Jerry Jones justified the Micah Parsons trade

If it wasn’t for having Jones at the helm since 1989, the Cowboys may have already fired three to four General Managers by now. Especially after the Micah Parsons trade, which was labelled as the Cowboys’ biggest mistake. However, the 83-year-old once again proved that his decision was well-calculated. Despite all the criticism, Jones stood firm on his ground and revealed the logic behind it on his latest appearance on the 105.3 The Fan show. 

“Micah just got to where he outgrew our ability to pay,” he said. “Everybody knows how to add and subtract … that’s what it came down to. We’d love to have Micah, but we couldn’t afford it. If you put it on one player, that one player can get hurt. If you put it on four or five players, they can’t all get hurt … It certainly never was personal with Micah.”

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Jones’ strategy to let go of the five-time Pro Bowler was based on diversifying the team. He couldn’t risk paying one player a historic salary, which he could use to find four or five high-quality starters. This way, if injury plagues the Cowboys, there won’t be a complete collapse. A similar case happened in Green Bay, which acquired Parsons in a historic $186 million deal. 

Parsons sustained a season-ending knee injury, and since then, the Packers’ defense has seen a sharp drop in pressure, sacks, and overall performance. After all, one could argue that their whole defensive game plan was centered around him. 

Jerry Jones’ explanation came a day after Parsons’ very public comment made against his former team, more specifically, against the billionaire owner. Refusing to take blame for leaving Dallas, he accused Jones of slandering his “name to Cowboys media and national media for months.”

Aikman may be advising Miami today, but Jerry Jones made one thing unmistakably clear—the man who defined the Cowboys’ greatest era will never stop being part of their story.