The early morning sun was just beginning to pierce through the Texas sky as the players filed into the Cowboys’ training camp. The air buzzed with the familiar energy of a new season, with each athlete focused on one goal: redemption. For the Dallas Cowboys, a team with an unmatched legacy of both glory and disappointment, another year meant another chance to finally break through to the Super Bowl. But amid the optimism of the new season, there was one looming question, one that had haunted the franchise for decades: Who truly controls the future of this team?

Jerry Jones, the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, had been the answer for as long as most fans could remember. Since purchasing the team in 1989, he had never once relinquished the reins of the franchise, holding tight to the position of GM despite the constant public outcry. To say Jones was a polarizing figure would be an understatement. Some admired his passion, his commitment to winning, and his ability to bring in talent. Others loathed his constant interference, his refusal to step away from football operations, and his stubbornness in sticking to a vision that had, at times, left the Cowboys’ once-proud legacy tarnished.

For all the money, the glitz, and the power, the Cowboys hadn’t won a Super Bowl since 1996. That year, Jones had watched his team hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but the decades that followed were a haunting reminder of what could have been. The roster was filled with talent, yet the Cowboys failed to make it past the divisional rounds year after year. And all the while, Jerry Jones remained steadfast in his belief that he knew best.

The tension came to a head when Jones gave his latest public statement on the subject, revealing something that fans had been dying to hear, even if it wasn’t the answer they wanted.

“Yes, momentary. Small fractions of seconds,” Jones had admitted to reporters at the Cowboys’ training camp on Monday, when asked if he’d considered stepping down as GM.

The answer, though brief, struck a chord with those who had long wondered how much longer Jones would hold onto the reigns of the team. It wasn’t the sweeping, definitive statement that many fans had hoped for—a clear, resounding declaration that he would finally give up the GM position and hand over the keys to someone else. But it was a glimmer of something: a fleeting thought, a brief hesitation, perhaps a crack in the armor that had kept Jerry Jones in the GM chair for so long.

For many, this was hardly a satisfying answer. How could the man who had guided the Cowboys since their glory days in the ’90s—often with mixed results—suddenly begin to consider stepping away? Jones was a force of nature, the very heartbeat of the team, and his refusal to give up control had led to a long-standing, often ugly saga with coaches and management. The rift between him and former head coach Jimmy Johnson in 1994 had been one of the most dramatic in NFL history. Johnson, a coach who had led the team to two Super Bowl titles, had been driven out by Jones’ inability to relinquish power. That split was still a fresh wound in the hearts of many Cowboys fans, a symbol of Jones’ relentless grip on the team.

And yet, there were moments—like this recent admission—that hinted at a shift. Maybe, just maybe, Jones was beginning to acknowledge that his method of running the Cowboys hadn’t worked as well as he would have hoped.

Though Jerry Jones was undeniably skilled at assembling talent, his tenure as GM was marked by a number of questionable decisions. The Cowboys had consistently drafted well, particularly in the first round, but coaching decisions had been a different matter entirely. His prolonged patience with coaches like Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy had been frustrating to many. Garrett, who served as head coach for a decade, won just two playoff games in that entire period—a record that seemed more befitting of a rebuilding team than one with Super Bowl aspirations. Meanwhile, McCarthy, who had been hired after Garrett’s departure, had led the Cowboys for five seasons but had produced only one postseason victory, despite the team’s potential.

What stung even more was Jones’ recent move to promote offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to the head coach position. Schottenheimer, who had never been a head coach in the NFL, was suddenly given the reins of a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The decision was puzzling to many, especially since McCarthy had been handling play-calling duties over the last two years. For some, it seemed like a desperate attempt to revitalize the franchise—an effort to make a change without actually addressing the root of the problem: Jerry Jones himself.

In the wake of all this, Jones’ comment about stepping down felt like a flicker of hope to those who had long advocated for a change in leadership. The murmurs of dissatisfaction from fans had become a steady crescendo over the years, with many pleading for Jones to hand over the GM duties to someone else, someone who could separate the ownership and football operations and give the team a fresh direction.

But then, there was the underlying tension. Jones was not someone who gave up power easily. His entire legacy had been built on his ability to control the team, to make the big decisions, and to shape the Cowboys into the brand they were today. It was hard to imagine him truly relinquishing control, especially when the team was still one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world.

As Jones pondered his future, it was clear that the Cowboys’ problems ran deeper than just his presence at the helm. The team’s inability to advance in the playoffs, the friction between the owner and the coaches, the missed opportunities—all pointed to a deeper issue. Could it be that the Cowboys’ true problem was not just a series of bad decisions, but the fact that Jerry Jones, for all his passion, had been trying to carry the team alone?

As the days passed, the drama continued to unfold. Fans were left wondering if Jones would truly make the necessary changes to move the team forward, or if his own stubbornness would keep them stuck in the same cycle of mediocrity. One thing was certain: the Cowboys’ fate, and Jerry Jones’ future as their GM, was far from decided.

The end of this chapter, however, seemed inevitable. If Jerry Jones truly believed that the team’s future could only be secured by his departure, then perhaps the Cowboys were finally ready for a fresh start. Or perhaps, as always, it would be another “next year.” The clock was ticking, and the weight of history bore down heavily on the decision that loomed ahead.

But for now, the fans would continue to watch, wait, and hope—for a new era, or at least, for the end of an old one.