Jerry Jones may have laughed at the idea of his fellow NFL owners forcing him to sell the franchise he has owned for nearly 30 years, but we now have numerous reports that claim the subject has actually been broached in recent weeks.
On Sunday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that NFL owners have discussed taking the “nuclear option” with Jones, which would empower the NFL’s Executive Committee to force an owner out if said owner is guilty of “conduct detrimental to the welfare of the League or professional football” and the maximum fine of $500,000 is deemed “not adequate or sufficient.” On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal confirmed Florio’s report.
Citing sources familiar with the feud between Jones and his fellow owners over Roger Goodell’s contract extension, Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal said he was told the possibility of removing Jones as owner of the Cowboys has been discussed by “at least some owners.”
The Wall Street Journal also obtained a copy of a letter sent to Jones from the NFL on Wednesday accusing him of conduct that is “detrimental to the league’s best interests.” The letter states that Jones’ “antics, whatever their motivation, are damaging the League.”
It still seems unlikely that Jones will be forced to sell the Cowboys, and the remarks he made earlier in the week show that he does not believe it is realistic. Still, the fact that it was discussed and the letter that was sent to Jones show how quickly he has gone from one of the most influential men in football to something of an enemy to the league.
Jones is not the only one who has questions about Goodell’s impending extension, and that is obvious when you read some of the reactions players have had. However, the belief is that Jones had no issue with the extension before Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension, and that has led his peers to question his motives.
