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Stephen A. Smith has long been an outspoken critic of the Dallas Cowboys organization. But in a rare move, the ESPN host directed praise toward the team’s longtime owner and general manager, Jerry Jones.
In late August, the Cowboys boss agreed to a blockbuster trade that sent star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The decision came just shy of the one-year anniversary of Jones rewarding quarterback Dak Prescott with a massive four-year contract extension.
Jones faced backlash in the wake of Parsons’ exit, but considering the Cowboys have so far exceeded expectations this season, Smith believes Jones made the right choice.
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Stephen A. Smith on the “ESPN NBA Countdown” set at Intuit Dome on Oct, 23, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The Cowboys enter Week 8 with a 3-3-1 record. Prescott has thrown for 1,881 yards and 16 touchdowns — both figures rank second in the NFL.
While the Cowboys trail the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, Dallas’ hopes of making the playoffs remain very much alive. Smith cited the decision to invest in Prescott instead of Parsons when he offered his prediction about the Cowboys ending up in the postseason.
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“You know, I didn’t like how he handled the Micah Parsons situation,” Smith said on Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take.”
“We have to be fair to Jerry Jones, who we obviously are consistently critical of. This man wanted his money bet on Dak Prescott. He wanted Dak Prescott … Jerry Jones is all about his way. And his way is, I gave this man $60 million to go out there and make me look good. I’m riding with you. I can afford to make the sacrifice here. I can afford not to do this here. I can afford to let Rico Dowdle and get away … I can afford to let Micah Parsons go … I can afford to do these things because I got you, I got you, and, by the way, I got you (George) Pickens too to go along with CeeDee Lamb.”
Smith also praised running back Javonte Williams, who is on pace for the best season of his career.
A detail shot of the Dallas Cowboys logo painted at midfield prior to an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 28, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“So you got all the records, because Ferguson ain’t no joke either, and Javonte Williams is running with the football. And that offensive line wasn’t as bad as y’all thought it was going to be. Look at this offense, right? So they’re winning the way he wants them to win,” Smith added.
Parsons has 16 tackles and 5.5 sacks through six games with the Packers. The defensive end recorded double-digit sack totals in all four of his seasons with the Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws down field against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
The Cowboys have just four playoff wins in the last quarter-century and have not reached the NFC Championship game since last winning the Super Bowl in the 1995 season. Despite the lack of recent postseason success, Smith expressed confidence that Dallas will secure a playoff victory in January.
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“If he goes out and tweaks and this defense shows anything… and the Dallas Cowboys make it to the playoffs with that offense and day I say, they win a playoff game, we all got to stand down and be like this: Jerry Jones got us,” Smith said. “We got to stand down. It’s a big if… but if we are gonna religiously crucify him, we got to step back and go like this: ‘Damn he might have had a point.’”
The Denver Broncos host the Cowboys this Sunday.
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