As the Dallas Cowboys look to bounce back from their abysmal 2025 season, owner and general manager Jerry Jones has a positive update about his defense heading into the new season. 

Jones spoke to the Dallas Cowboys media at the Grand Prix of Arlington. He was more eager to talk about the defense his team has gathered than the offense.

“Of course, we actually have touched some offense with a great blocker, but more importantly, what we’ve done on defense,” Jones said.

The Dallas Cowboys have been working around the clock to improve the defense and help Christian Parker with all the weapons he needs in his first season in charge as the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys. 

Jones further added that the Chiefs are counting on their draft picks and returning veteran players to have a promising season.

“That plus what we have set up for the draft, plus what we really have coming back from our veteran defensive players that really didn’t play that much last year, injury issues, things like that, gives us a lot of promise.”

The Cowboys hold two first-round draft picks (12 and 20), and that would come into play very soon. Sam Williams has agreed to return to the Cowboys on a one-year deal, and the Cowboys could be looking to re-sign Dante Fowler.

The defensive statistics for 2025 are by far the worst Jones and his franchise have ever seen. They were at the bottom and near the bottom in almost every defensive statistic in 2025. 

The defense, led by former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, conceded an NFL-high 511 points, allowing an average of 31 points per game. 

There is no doubt that the Cowboys had enormous issues on defense last year, but Jones believed there's only one way forward. 

“I’ll tell you, when you have the challenges we had last year, there’s no place to go up on the defensive side of the ball,” Jones said. “Had we played a lick of defense last year, we would’ve had ourselves, I think, a real playoff run.” 

What did Jerry Jones admit about free agency?

Historically, the Dallas Cowboys are not a franchise that goes all out on free agency. They are more of a draft-first-and-develop franchise. 

Jones believes that has since changed, and all franchises use free agency to make their roster more effective. 

“I don’t know that since we’ve had free agency as we know it today, where it’s really very viable, most teams involved very actively making deals if you will.”

The Cowboys have made plenty of free agent signings, and most of those signings come on the defensive end of the football. They have brought in safety Jalen Thompson with a 3-year, $36 million contract, cornerback Cobie Durant on a 1-year deal, and several other linebackers and safeties.

So, do you think the Cowboys have done enough to strengthen their defense, as Jerry Jones believes? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Sayantan Gayen