Jerry Jones supports Micah Parsons, Cowboys pushing back on tanking talk

The Dallas Cowboys (4-7) may have a slim shot at making the playoffs for the fourth season running, but that doesn’t mean Jerry Jones is in favor of his team going into tank mode.

Jones, speaking Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan, said he loved the comments from Micah Parsons following this past Sunday’s 34-26 Week 12 road win over the Washington Commanders (7-5), in which the All-Pro linebacker pushed back on the notion that Dallas should be tanking to secure a higher pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“That has not come across anybody’s mind in this organization. … I get it, I get all of it, but it’s critical to us to get out here and compete. Those guys will be there for us, the ones we want when we get there in the draft,” Jones said. “I just think the game is too important. The win is too important. … A win is a very satisfying thing under any circumstance. It helps you build.

“There’s a lot of ambiguity with those draft picks. … I’ve had draft picks that were extraordinarily high that didn’t work. I’ve had them low that knocked it out of the park. And so, you’ve got to weigh what happens when you get the picks and the odds of you knocking one out of the park there as well, as opposed to winning a game.”

Micah Parsons fires back at calls for Dallas Cowboys to tank amid 4-7 start

The Cowboys went into Week 12 riding a five-game losing streak with seemingly not much to play for. Among those out of the lineup: Cornerback Trevon Diggs, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, right guard Zack Martin, left guard Tyler Smith, receiver Brandin Cooks, tight end Jake Ferguson and of course, quarterback Dak Prescott, sidelined for the remainder of the season.

And yet, Dallas played inspired and made enough plays to defeat its NFC East rivals in one of the whackiest games of the 2024 season. For now, any talk about Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty or *insert top prospect here* is exactly that — talk. The Cowboys will enjoy this one before getting ready for a Thanksgiving Day matchup against the New York Giants (2-9).

“I’m not done yet. I don’t plan on tanking,” Parsons said after the game. “If the higher-ups are looking for a draft pick, I hope that’s ruined, because we got a lot of football left to play. As long as I’m a part of this team, we’re always going to fight.”