Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered up a fairly lame excuse after being caught on video seemingly making an obscene gesture toward fans during Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
In an appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Dallas on Tuesday, Jones claimed that what appeared to be a middle finger directed at fans was “inadvertent.” He argued that he was trying to salute Cowboys fans in the stadium and corrected the gesture quickly.
“[The gesture] was inadvertent on my part because that was right after we made our last touchdown, and we were all excited about it,” Jones said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “There wasn’t any antagonistic issue or anything like that. I just put up the wrong show on the hand. That was inadvertently done. I’m not kidding. If you want to call it accidental, you can call it accidental. But it got straightened around pretty quick. I had a chance to look at it. It got straightened out pretty quick, but the intention was ‘thumbs up,’ and basically pointing at our fans because everybody was jumping up and down excited.”
While the gesture was definitely brief, there was no mistaking which finger Jones was holding up. The NFL was not convinced by the explanation, as the league fined Jones $250,000 for the gesture on Tuesday.
Source: NFL is fining Jerry Jones $250,000 for the self-described “unfortunate” gesture he made Sunday to fans at MetLife Stadium. Jones may appeal. https://t.co/zLQh1w3MWY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2025
Jones made the gesture after a Dallas touchdown pass that put the team up 37-14. His team went on to win 37-22.
