Jerry Jones stripping Cowboys WR of jersey number to give to new draft pick

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to make first-round pick Micah Parsons happy. So much so, in fact, that he’s pretty much yanking a current player’s jersey number for him.

Parsons wore No. 11 as a star linebacker at Penn State, and signaled his desire to wear it again in the NFL after the Cowboys selected him 12th overall on Thursday. The number is already held by wide receiver Cedric Wilson, but it’s not unusual for rookies to negotiate with veterans over jersey numbers.

On Friday, Jones stepped into the matter himself, suggesting that there wouldn’t even need to be a negotiation.

Jerry Jones all but assured Micah Parsons that he was going to get No. 11 from Cedric Wilson
"What negotiation?", Jones said.

— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) April 30, 2021

Remember, Jones essentially decided on the jersey number for last year’s first-round pick, too. The guy can be pretty fixated on this stuff.

Parsons might still have to negotiate to wear No. 11, but if Wilson was planning on holding out, Jones kind of tanked his negotiating position. Fortunately, it probably won’t matter all that much.