Stephen Jones: Fanbase deserves to be critical, emotional about our results

Many Dallas sports fans were enraged by the Mavericks' recent trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers and that reaction led to a question for Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones on Monday.

Jones said that he doesn't "really want to comment on the Mavericks" because he's not associated with that team, but said he understands why fans would be riled up about that decision and that he wants Cowboys fans "to be emotional and I want them to care." He said he also understands that many of them are upset by the team's record in 2024 and "our postseason lack of success" in recent years.

Jones added that the team has to be better and that he thinks they've begun doing the work needed to get to that point.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our team and how to take the next step, certainly we’ve been through a lot this offseason already with coach [Brian] Schottenheimer,” Jones said, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. “With him hiring a staff and our preparation for the personnel side of things as we come up here to the combine and obviously a place where everybody meets with all the representatives of the potential free agents. A lot of work going on right now, but it’s something we embrace and we just want to bring that success in the postseason and ultimately a championship to our fanbase. They deserve it and certainly deserve to be critical and emotional about it.”

Jones's comments differ from ones he made at Schottenheimer's introductory press conference. He referred somewhat derisively to "this drought that people say we're in, in terms of a championship game or a Super Bowl," but Monday's words were less dismissive of those who think that 30 years without reaching either of those games is too long a stretch for any team.