Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones evades question about introducing ‘sniffing’ former coach Jimmy Johnson to Ring of Honor…continuing years of strained relationship
The two former Arkansas teammates have years of bitterness in a relationship
Johnson won his first two Super Bowls after taking over in 1989
Only one other coach has been included in the Cowboys Ring of Honor
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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will be forever linked with his former head coach, Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the man who has coached his teams to two Super Bowl titles will be getting any owner credit anytime soon.
Speaking to an NBC Dallas/Fort Worth sports reporter, the longtime owner delved into his position when asked why Johnson has yet to be inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor.
“I get to make that decision,” Jones told the reporter. “In the end, it’s not all about whether Jimmy is sobbing or not.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a tense relationship with his former head coach
Jones previously promised during the 2021 Hall of Fame game that Johnson would be inducted, but did not make an official decision or say when that might happen.
The two men have a long and complicated relationship dating back to their time together at the University of Arkansas.
Johnson, a defensive lineman, and Jones, an offensive lineman, were both part of the undefeated 1964 Razorbacks team that was voted national champion.
After Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989, one of his first steps was to fire legendary coach Tom Landry to hire Johnson, who had won the national title in 1987 with the University of Miami Hurricanes.
After a rocky start in Dallas, Johnson won back-to-back Super Bowls and defeated the Buffalo Bills in both Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII.
During that time, Johnson and Jones internally fought over control of staffing decisions—and Jones was unwilling to give his coach that power.
Jimmy Johnson awaits the day he will be inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor
Johnson left for the Miami Dolphins and Jones hired another former Arkansas Razorback in Barry Switzer.
Switzer may have won Super Bowl XXX three years after that decision, but it was mostly with a roster developed and curated while Johnson was coaching.
Since then, the Cowboys have had little success in the postseason, making 11 appearances in 25 seasons and only four playoff games.
All four of those wins came in the Wild Card round, with Jason Garrett being the only coach to have more than one playoff win.
The Cowboys Ring of Honor includes 22 inductees, with the legendary Tom Landry as the only coach in that group.
Landry won the same number of Super Bowl titles with the Cowboys as Johnson, beating the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII.