Jerry Jones shares why Cowboys did not sign Derrick Henry

Sep 19, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys fans were all thinking the same thing about Derrick Henry during their team’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and some comments Jerry Jones made after the game probably will not make them feel any better.

Henry rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in Baltimore’s 28-25 win over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. During free agency this offseason, many people felt Dallas would have been a great fit for Henry after the Cowboys lost Tony Pollard. Jones said his team simply could not afford the Pro Bowl running back, however.

“Hats off to him. He had a great day today. Have all the respect in the world for him,” Jones said after Sunday’s loss, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “And so that’s what happens when you don’t sign good ones: They can come back and have a great game against you.

“But bottom line is we couldn’t afford Derrick Henry. Why can’t you buy a mansion when you live in a different kind of house? We couldn’t afford him. We can’t make that all fit. That’s as simple as that.”

Henry did not exactly sign a monster free-agent contract. The Ravens gave him $16 million over two years, with a $5.1 million salary cap hit for 2024. Jones will point to the fact that the Cowboys had to give big extensions to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but they undoubtedly could have found a way to fit Henry on the books.

At the very least, the Cowboys could have negotiated with Henry to see if the two sides could make something work. There is reason to believe they did not even do that.

Dallas is now off to a 1-2 start after failing to bounce back from an embarrassing 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. Prescott had a strong message for his doubters after Sunday’s game.