Written by Ryan Wilson at CBS Sports.com
Even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ power has limits. Six owners on the compensation committee, following a Monday conference call, have given Jones a cease-and-desist warning less than two weeks after Jones reportedly threatened to sue the league and the owners on the committee, reports Ken Belson of the New York Times.
The range of punishments includes fines, docking draft picks and even suspending Jones, who has owned the Cowboys since 1989.
The impetus for all this? Jones is at odds with commissioner Roger Goodell, the man behind Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension, and Jones is reportedly trying to keep Goodell’s contract extension from going through. Jones, who was a non-voting member of the compensation committee, was kicked out immediately after he threatened to sue, reports Belson.
Meanwhile, Falcons owner Arthur Blank, the compensation committee’s chairman, issued a statement on Monday.
“The committee is continuing its work towards finalizing a contract extension with the commissioner,” Blank said. “The negotiations are progressing and we will keep ownership apprised of the negotiations as they move forward. We do not intend to publicly comment on our discussions.”
This latest development aligns with what CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported on Sunday: Some owners are starting to turn on Jones because, according to sources, “his attacks on commissioner Roger Goodell are being seen by his peers as a direct reaction to his anger of Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension and are diminishing his respect and influence among other owners.”
In addition to the cease-and-desist warning, some owners are reportedly discussing a nuclear option — the long-shot possibility of making Jones forfeit his ownership in the Cowboys. Another possible deterrent to Jones moving forward with a lawsuit: If he loses, NFL bylaws contains a resolution that would make him responsible for legal fees, litigation expenses, and costs incurred by the league and by its teams. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, that could cost Jones more than $10 million.
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